


When the Flowers Cry

by TCOOKIES777



Category: Naruto
Genre: A Little Horror, Action, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Blank Period, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Cunnilingus, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 as Family (Naruto), Exhibitionism, F/M, Feelings Realization, Feelings revealed, Femme Fatale, Ghosts, Guilt, Major Original Character(s), Masturbation, Nudity, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Possession, Post-The Last: Naruto the Movie, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Romance, Sakura Hiden novel references, Sakura VS Sasuke, Seduction, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Team 7 boys try to be wingmen for Sasuke, Tragedy, Uchiha Sasuke Returns to Konoha, minor gore, more romance than horror, phantom pregnancy, reference to Naruto: Clash in the Land of Snow, sasuke must save sakura through the power of love, sasuke's redemption journey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:40:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 78,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCOOKIES777/pseuds/TCOOKIES777
Summary: When one of the greatest medical-nin in the world goes missing in what should have been a simple delivery to the Land of Spring’s Hidden Snow Village, the rest of Team 7 must reunite to find her. But even the most powerful team of shinobi will find themselves challenged in a battle against the supernatural. With Sasuke's return, vengeful ghosts of the past will test him and his love.Loosely inspired by John Carpenter'sThe Fog.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 174
Kudos: 230





	1. The Case of the Missing Doctor

**Author's Note:**

> **This fic's horror style is more akin to a Gothic Romance. More tags will be added as the story updates, but most of the tags are already included.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This story takes place a little after the events of _Naruto: The Last_. The character looks & outfits are also the same outfits they wear in the film.**
> 
> **Throughout the fanfic, I will be including videos to provide background music. It's up to you if you want to play the music while reading or not; it's just meant to add to the atmosphere!**

A cold breeze had begun sweeping the Land of Spring the moment Sakura had left the small tourist village to press on. Icy air snuck past the small openings of her red coat and she shivered, tugging the fur-lined hood closer around her face. She glanced up at the pale sky, the snow crunching louder beneath her quickened pace once she realized the sun hung far lower than half an hour ago.

Something wet touched Sakura’s cheek and she blinked, raising a hand to her face.

_It’s snowing again?_

This country was called the Land of Spring, but during winter, it was more like the Land of Snow that Sakura had been more familiar with as a child. At the thought of its former title, she couldn’t help but smile.

How many years had it been since that mission when four of them had come here together? Had laughed, and fought, and eaten, and slept, and bickered together for weeks like the family they’d been? Glancing to her side, Sakura giggled quietly at the vision of Naruto and Sasuke in their Genin years, squabbling with each other as they often did back then. Of course, their sensei would have his nose stuck in his favorite _Icha Icha_ book whilst keeping a vigilant eye out for them. And she would be defending Sasuke or berating Naruto as always.

She shook her head at that, smiling at the vision of her team members from a time long ago.

Another brisk wind blew away the fantasy of her team and Sakura stopped to brace herself against the harsh push of the elements. One hand gripped the bag at her hip and the other hand rose up to block out the cloud of snow that flew at her.

 _The weather’s getting worse_ , she thought to herself. That was strange; the worst of winter had already passed weeks ago. Some snow remaining was normal, but she didn’t expect to encounter another snowstorm this late in the season. The frozen tundra that made up most of the land didn’t make it ideal for her to travel in this condition. If conditions were more ideal, she’d consider turning to head back to the village she’d just passed through. Thinking back on it, it’d been a poor choice to continue her journey when it was already midday, but…

Suppressing another shiver, Sakura kept a hand up to shield her face as the fullness of the storm hit her. The wind ripped her hood back, exposing her pale thin neck to the harsh elements.

“Where in the world did this storm come from?” she grunted to herself, slim body swaying side to side as if she were at sea. The wind seemed to be pushing her to the right as if in an attempt to lead her astray from her path northwest.

Her surroundings were completely white, however, and the more Sakura stumbled onward, the more she found herself losing all sense of direction. The sun… where was the sun? She squinted up, but a blast of snow obscured her vision all around. If this went on any longer, nightfall would leave her out in the cold. No matter how strong and capable she was as a disciple of one of the legendary Sannin, even Sakura Haruno was powerless against the forces of nature.

Shelter. She needed to find shelter and quick.

It would do Yukigakure no good if the doctor they were expecting had become a frozen statue.

Her feet began to sink into the building snow, leaving her leg warmers frozen like the tips of her hair. Ah, what she wouldn’t give to have Sasuke here with her. At least he’d be able to spew some flames to clear a path. No, even Naruto’s company would be welcomed. Someone to keep her awake with incessant chatter.

Her eyelids began to fall, chin jerking down as a cold slumber called to her. She jolted back, slapping a hand across her face, maybe harder than necessary but the pain woke her up. At least only for a few minutes until her vision began to bleed dark at the edges once more.

She slapped her cheek again, this time the other side.

“No good,” Sakura mumbled, letting her numb feet drag through the thick snow. “Can’t… go on much… longer…”

Something black appeared before her several feet away. Like a splotch of ink on one of Sai’s white canvases. Blinking in confusion, Sakura rubbed her eyes first before squinting at the figure ahead. Through a flurry of snowflakes, she glimpsed a… a woman? A woman standing calmly despite the torrential rage of the storm. Long ebony locks twisted in the air, pulled up by the icy fingers of the wind. Still, the woman remained standing resolute and staring directly at Sakura with blue eyes icier than the glacial mountains in the distance. She almost seemed like a statue; too still to be alive, but too real to be lifeless.

“H… H-Hello?” Frozen lips trembled as she tried to speak louder, voice cracking like a broken flute. “Hello!”

The woman merely turned around and walked away from Sakura, her loose hair trailing like the black ribbon Sakura had worn at the Third Hokage’s funeral as a little girl.

“Wait…” She forced her legs to move even though she couldn’t feel them anymore. “W-Wait!”

The woman had definitely seen her, so why would she just leave her behind?

The storm pressed at her back now, as if nature was a strict mother urging Sakura onward with impatient hands. Determined to not die here of all places, especially considering she was now a war hero who’d survived the Fourth Shinobi World War, she bit her bottom lip and used the pain as a shot of adrenaline to keep herself awake for as long as possible. _One foot in front of the other_ , she chanted in her mind. At least until she could find that lady again.

Or maybe—she tripped over an upturned root the snow had hidden—maybe she’d hallucinated the woman?

The image of long black hair and an icy gaze remained stuck in her mind.

Shaking her head, Sakura pulled herself up, her muscles stiff and aching but as strong as ever. Another step forward and she collapsed once more, her hand falling onto a panel of wood. She frowned, face still pressed against the snow as she dragged a gloved finger across the surface. 

It was smooth.

Raising her face, she gasped at the sight of the house before her. Did the woman live here? There was no warm glow to be seen through any of the windows. If anything, the house looked as if nobody had lived here for decades. Whatever peach paint that had coated the old home had long since peeled away with age and neglect. As Sakura was about to knock on the door, she noted that the wood was rotted. That had to mean nobody lived here, right?

Just to be sure, she kept her hand pressed against the front door, letting her chakra spread across the whole structure. No one, just as she expected.

“Excuse me,” Sakura muttered anyway, twisting the frigid knob to enter.

The small house already looked dilapidated from the outside, but the inside was far more derelict. The only furniture that remained was a single lone rocking chair laying on its side right by the window overlooking the porch. As if the last owner just sat there all day, their life whittling away with each passing day before they'd finally turned over and died.

Sakura shuddered at the thought, her wide green eyes straining to adjust to the dim light of the room. It would be dark soon, and she did not want to sit around in the dark even though it was certainly much better than sitting outside in the freezing temperature.

Half of her didn’t want to close the door since that was where most of her light source filtered in from, but the more rational side of Sakura knew she’d be wasting the little shelter she had by keeping the door wide open to the weather. With a sigh, she reached a hand out, cautiously stepping forward to where she’d glimpsed the fireplace upon entering. It took all but ten steps for her boot to crunch on snow and Sakura was all too familiar with the sound to know what that meant.

Groaning, she fell to her knees, gloved hands reaching out to grab fistfuls of snow from the pile clogging the fireplace. So much for having a nice, hot fire to warm her chilled bones.

“Well, it’s not like I had any dry wood to use anyways,” she blew fairy-flossed hair from her face. A quick pinch to the cheeks had some blood rushing to her face, but not enough to feel warm.

On the bright side, at least she had a few candlesticks to use for an emergency. _Oh, who am I kidding? What good will a candlestick do against a storm?_

She shrugged. “Better than nothing.”

Setting her extra bag aside, Sakura tugged open her knapsack, retrieving the single stick she’d deemed to bring with her. It was not meant for practical use, but rather to keep her from feeling homesick whenever her travels took longer than she’d like. With a quick flick of the matchstick, the smell of lemon filled the cold room. Not the most comforting scent, but it was home in a way. A reminder of the lemon-scented soap Konoha’s hospital favored to mask the pungent smell of antiseptics and sweat. Tugging off her gloves, Sakura sighed as warmth brought feeling back to her fingertips.

The scent did not last long, however, as it soon vanished when the light of the candle winked out without warning. Huffing in frustration, she struck another match against the box and relit the candle, watching the tiny flame dance and flicker before it was snuffed out again.

“Oh, come on!”

 _Today’s just not my day_ , Sakura grumbled to herself. It was completely dark now, with what little light there had been outside now gone with the sun’s absence. Even though she’d found shelter from the harsh elements outside, Sakura was not comfortable with the idea of staying in the cold and dark for the remainder of the day and night. Sure, she’d often camped outside with not a single candle to light her way in the forest, but Konoha’s forest was her home and the stars above were her security blanket. Here, in a land she was hardly familiar with, the dark was not welcomed. She didn’t have Kakashi-sensei to make sure she was safe, nor did she have the warm backs of Naruto and Sasuke pressed against her sides.

_I’m completely alone._

_But_ , her fist tightened and she felt the muscles squeeze hot, _I have a mission to complete. I have people who need my help. I can do this!_

“I think I’m starting to sound like Naruto. Maybe I’ve been hanging out with him at Ichiraku Ramen too often,” a soft giggle escaped her frozen lips and Sakura reached out to tug her bag closer.

Huh?

Frowning, she swept a hand across the floor, but her fingertips hit nothing but torn up wood. That’s strange. Maybe she left the bag a bit further away when she’d busied herself with the candle?

Striking a third match, Sakura lit her candle a third time, but it died out in a second. She froze, gazing where the little flame had lived with the lifespan of a mere spark. It had taken her a while to realize that there had been no draft since she’d closed the door shut. The windows were closed too, their shutters sealed tight and rattling against the wind. So how…?

Never mind. How hard could it be to find a bag of supplies in a small, empty hut? She didn’t need any light for that.

On her hands and knees, Sakura crawled forward, retracing her steps and wondering where else she could have left the bag. Her palms swept across the smooth wood of the floorboards until her pinky brushed a different texture. She frowned, pausing to lay her hand atop of…

With a shriek, she jerked her hand back.

That… That felt like hair.

Human hair.

But she’d seen nothing when she’d opened the door and surveyed the room from the threshold. The hut had been completely bare, stripped of any signs of life save for the rocking chair. Had she seen wrong?

Maybe… Maybe there really was a person here. If they were unconscious, then they might need her help. What if it was that same woman she’d seen earlier? Yes… Yes, it had to be someone alive—just unconscious. It was dark when she had entered, and she’d simply missed the person laying on the floor.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Sakura called out softly, “He… Hello?”

Silence.

_C’mon Sakura, you’ve faced worse. Heck, you’ve faced an alien goddess from the stars! Get a grip, girl! You can handle this!_

“Hello?” She swallowed down the lump of fear lodged in her throat. “Is anyone there? I’m Dr. Haruno… Haruno Sakura. I’m a medical-nin from the Land of Fire… From the Hidden Leaf Village.”

More silence.

With a shaky hand, she reached out once more. Instead of the cold threads of hair, however, she touched only the smooth wood of the floor. Her shoulders sagged in relief. Had she imagined the hair too? At this rate, it was difficult to tell which was real and which was a hallucination.

“I must be too exhausted,” she rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn.

Something creaked beyond her shoulder.

It’s the wood, logic told her. The frigid temperatures are pulling moisture from the wood and making it creak. That’s not uncommon during this time of year.

The creaking continued, persistent and… rhythmic.

Sakura stiffened once more when she realized where it was coming from: by the window overlooking the porch.

The rocking chair.

_No… No way..._

_No, it’s the wind making the chair move._ Yeah, that’s—no, wait, hadn’t the chair been knocked onto its side when she came in?

**_Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak…_ **

A Genjutsu maybe? But she’d sensed no chakra presence inside the hut.

Lacing numb fingers together, Sakura whispered, “Release!”

The creaking stopped and she waited a moment longer before sighing in relief right before the sound of something heavy dragging across the floor caught her attention. Staying silent in case the enemy didn’t know of her position yet, Sakura touched her fingers to the floorboards, letting her chakra pulse out like a wave.

Nobody was here but her.

The dragging had stopped, but Sakura knew for sure that she hadn’t imagined it. Could the enemy be concealing their chakra signature? She’d never met anyone besides Lady Tsunade who had the perfect, delicate chakra control to do that. Whoever it was in this room with her had to be a sensory ninja like herself if they’d been able to somehow pick up on her own concealed chakra signature. They may be better than even her!

Another creak, but it was the floor this time instead of the rocking chair.

Sakura listened closely, blocking out the noise of the wind whipping outside and focusing solely on the sounds of the house. Her hand crept to her side where she flicked open her weapon pouch.

Goosebumps pricked up her arms abruptly and Sakura rolled forward, swiping blindly at whatever presence she’d felt from behind. Her kunai cut clean through the air despite her lightning-quick reflex.

_So they know where I am…_

Another pulse of chakra burst from the soles of her feet, but Sakura felt no chakra signature just like last time. _Damn, they really know how to hide!_

“I know you’re out there!” she shouted into the dark, eyes strained wide open in the hopes to somehow improve her scope of vision. “Just show yourself already!”

Reaching up, she plucked a strand of her cotton pink hair, wrapping the vibrant thread around the base of her kunai.

“Come out now and I won’t hurt you!”

Silence…

And then—

**_THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP!_ **

The quick thud of footsteps heading towards her from behind prompted Sakura to pivot towards the source. There was the subtle whistle of the kunai shooting forth and then the heavy thunk of it hitting wood instead of flesh. Was it a substitution Jutsu? She reached out with her chakra, tracing where her kunai had landed. The distance between her and the wall was approximately twelve feet, judging by the hair strand she’d imbued with a hint of her own chakra.

The floor creaked again, too heavy for the winter temperature to be the culprit.

“That’s it! I’m done playing games,” she tightened her fist and braced her other hand against the frozen floorboards. “SHANNA—”

**_THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP!_ **

It was heading straight for her again—from the back like last time. Smirking, she swung her fist but instead of hitting the ground, she followed the swing of her punch, letting her body twist around. At the same moment the footsteps ended right behind her, her fist met empty air. The frown on Sakura’s face deepened in confusion. She was so sure she’d heard the thumping stop right by her. So how could there be nothing before her now?

“You know what? Fine!” she shouted, simply frustrated now. “Have this house! I can find shelter elsewhere!”

Whatever. If they were skilled enough to conceal themselves from her, then they were capable enough to try and kill her. But they hadn’t. If anything, Sakura felt she was being toyed with—maybe even tested. But that person chose the wrong kunoichi to toy with, and she was not in the mood for tricks and games.

If they wanted to fight her, she was more than ready to teach them a lesson with her fists.

She was not willing to play hide and seek.

With a huff, Sakura trudged over to where she’d last seen the door, nearly crashing into it (although she hoped the enemy didn’t see that). Fumbling with the knob, she paused at the thought of having to leave the bag of supplies behind—possibly in the enemy’s hands. She shook her head, deciding to come back for it as soon as there was enough light.

Twisting the knob, she pulled the door open… only it didn’t open.

Frowning, she tugged at the handle a few more times and, when it didn’t give, she put her whole body into it. The hinges should have been torn off long ago by her strength, but it was like she’d been sealed in.

The fine hairs on the back of her neck crept up. She was definitely being watched. Whatever was in the dark with her seemed to be stalking her. A predator toying with its prey.

The footsteps thudded towards her again and Sakura turned, fist raised to give her mystery assailant a good knuckle-sandwich. The fall of footsteps ended right before her, but she still saw nothing. Sakura squinted into the dark, craning her face forward inch by inch until—

Pale white hands shot out from the blackness, ice-cold fingers wrapping around her throat before she could so much as let out a gasp. Her back collided with the floor as she was pushed down by an unforgiving force that challenged even her own strength. Clawing at the tight grip around her throat, she shuddered at the curtain of hair tickling her cheeks. Those long, icy strands should’ve led to the face of her foe. Yet, she peered up at nothing but darkness and… and eyes a chilly blue like frost.

“Agh..!” The hands squeezed harder and Sakura opened her mouth in a desperate attempt to breathe.

How…? How were they stronger than her?

Not they, instincts told her.

_It._

She reached for another kunai, but tendrils of ink-black hair circled her wrists tightly, holding her in place.

Eyes rolling back, her strength began to weaken from the asphyxiation. As if sensing her weakening struggle, the entity withdrew its long white fingers from her throat. Sakura immediately sucked in a deep breath, but that was the worst mistake she could’ve made. The moment she made that sharp inhale, something entered her mouth. Something cold and intangible and… awful.

She gagged, choking on seemingly nothing but a dark, tainted wind.

Those cold eyes continued staring down at her.

Her stomach clenched as it slid down her throat, pulsing and shifting and forcing its way into her. Sakura’s back arched, but she could not scream. The only sound that escaped her was a low, pitiful whimper as more of that thing slipped through her mouth, down her throat, and inside of her.

The loose floorboards rattled beneath the kunoichi as she quaked violently. Every molecule in her body seemed to be shaking out of control, invigorated by a dark rage she’d never known before, but it felt like it’d been festering her whole life.

 _Stop_ , she screamed in her head. The thought twisted with an unfamiliar hatred that did not belong to her.

A new voice echoed back, husky and raw, but womanly.

_‘Never.’_

Her vision went black, and in the darkness of her mind was that same pair of cold blue eyes, filled with an icy rage that froze even Inner Sakura in place.

It settled within Sakura, nestling deep in the cozy confines of her body and leaving her twitching and writhing in the dark. Outside, the storm raged on well into the night.

* * *

The rabbit could only make so much as a quiet whimper before its heart stopped beating a few seconds later. A white lump disappearing into the background of snow as gentle white flakes rained onto it.

A hand reached out, grasping the little creature by the ears as Sasuke Uchiha studied his kill. The arrow had gone straight through the eye, clean and precise. His cross-bolt couldn’t compare to a proper bow, but it was the sport itself he found joy in. Tracking the rabbit had reminded Sasuke of the time when Itachi had taught him how to hunt a boar with a bow and arrow. Old-fashioned, but there was something appealing about relying on primitive tools and having to adjust to the steep learning curve.

He paused upon sensing a presence at his back.

The trees were too quiet all of a sudden.

So the hunter had become the hunted.

Calmly, Sasuke turned to face the bushes behind which the leopard was stalking him from. He tossed his kill, letting the rabbit fly over the bushes. Without checking to see if the other hunter had accepted his peace offering, Sasuke turned around and continued onward in search of other prey.

The leopard did not come after him.

Instead, a different animal did.

The messenger hawk landed on a low branch of a leafless tree, its tawny brown eyes considering him from the short distance. Snow crunched under his boots as Sasuke approached the bird, eyeing the scroll strapped to its back. Retrieving the scroll, he noticed the red seal that indicated the urgency of the message contained.

The scroll rolled open and Sasuke read the message, all of which were two mere words: _‘Come back’_

With a swish of his cloak, he reached for the Chokutō at his back, unsheathing the sword just an inch so he could press his thumb to the single edge. Blood welled up at the cut and he lowered his hand to the snow. There was a puff of smoke and Garuda shot up, spreading golden brown wings to catch the gentle breeze. It circled above Sasuke once before swooping down to catch its master.

Riding on the large hawk’s back, Sasuke let Garuda fly him back to Konoha.

It was no longer snowing by the time he finally reached the village gates. No doubt the patrol units had been informed ahead of time of his imminent arrival. Their wary gazes burned into Sasuke’s back as he made his way to the Academy, quick and quiet. It was still early morning, and the quaint village of Konohagakure remained sleepy and docile, but its well-trained Shinobi ever alert. It made it easier for him to slip into the administrative department and right into the Hokage’s office.

He’d expected Lord Sixth to greet him, and even Naruto and that other Team 7 member who’d meant to replace him—Sai, who still retained a deep connection with Anbu. Their presence didn’t surprise him. What did surprise the last Uchiha were their grave expressions.

He held up the scroll in his hand. The one that had urgently demanded his presence with no warning.  
“What’s the meaning of this, Kakashi?”

His former sensei took a moment to study him and Sasuke returned the favor. There were bags beneath the older man’s dull gaze. No doubt from the endless load of paperwork that seemed to only build over time. But there was also a certain kind of stress that didn’t seem to be from the work of reading too many documents.

“It’s Sakura.” Dark grey eyes stared back at him. It seemed as if everyone was trying to gauge Sasuke’s reaction.

His own stare remained steady even as his mind churned with questions tainted by unease. Clearly, he’d been called back for her sake just like last time when she’d been kidnapped by Kido. And last time, the kunoichi of the cherry blossoms had…

He takes in a breath. “Whatever has happened, she’s not so weak any—”

“She’s missing, Sasuke.”

He was about to repeat himself until he noticed the foreboding grief that already darkened the Hokage’s expression. As if those first two words had twisted a knife Sasuke couldn’t see. At the side of the desk, Naruto remained uncharacteristically silent, sunny blue eyes turned down to one of the papers on Kakashi’s desk. Sai’s face was unreadable, but the tension in the room was palpable.

She’s missing? Again, that wouldn’t be the first time. And like the first time, Sakura had proven herself more than capable of taking care of her own business no matter how awry the situation went. But Sasuke’s gut told him that this time was different.

This time, she might need Team 7 at her back once more.

“... I’m listening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The images above portray how the characters appear in this story, taken from _Naruto the Last_ since this fanfic takes place after the film events.
> 
> Reviews are much appreciated and motivate me to update regularly ^_^ Thank you for reading!


	2. Team 7

“The Land of Spring, formerly known as the Land of Snow, is where we were assigned to protect a movie star, Fujikaze Yukie, if you recall back to your Genin days. She is also the country’s daimyō since taking back her throne, and for the past few years, her people have been suffering from a minor flu. Normally, they’re able to deal with it just fine during the winter season but, ever since the Fourth Shinobi World War, their economy has had trouble recovering and resources have been scarce for them.”

“Wait,” Sasuke interjected, “what does the war have to do with the Land of Spring? It's a small nation and their Hidden Village no longer trains shinobi, so they couldn’t have had any to participate in the war.”

“That’s true, but Lady Koyuki did send a handful of healers to aid the Alliance’s efforts,” Shikamaru explained beside Kakashi. “After the war ended, only a few of those healers had survived. The Land of Spring has been struggling with flu season ever since.”

Shizune stepped forward, holding a small syringe filled with a violet fluid. “About two days ago, Sakura was tasked with delivering a supply of vaccines to Yukigakure, along with some medicine.”

“However,” Kakashi continued, “later that same day, we received a report from Lady Koyuki telling us that Sakura never arrived at the village. Apparently, the land was hit by a snowstorm and it’s believed Sakura got lost in it while on the way to meet with her contact. As soon as the storm passed, the princess deployed a search team but they found no traces of Sakura. She was last seen in Hanabana no Sato; it’s the village closest to the port, just beyond the mountain pass. Other than that, there’s been no sign of her.”

“Why not send some ninken?” asked Sasuke.

“We did,” Kakashi leaned his elbows against his desk, fingers lacing beneath his chin. “As soon as we received Lady Koyuki’s report, we sent Kiba, his sister, and his mother to track Sakura down the next day. However, the weather conditions made things difficult and the Inuzukas returned empty-handed.”

“Word was sent to the neighboring countries regarding our missing doctor, but they all said the same thing,” Shikamaru handed Sasuke a copy of the message that had been relayed to the other countries. “I’m guessing you can tell what their answer was.”

“Aa.” His mismatched gaze flew across Kakashi’s message to land on the provided photo of the kunoichi in question.

He wasn’t surprised to find her hair was still short as ever. Sakura had always been a practical person and, ever since the Chunin exams, she’d preferred to keep her hair out of the way. Sasuke liked it that way too; the short length balanced out the large features of her sweetheart face, especially those cat-like shaped eyes, a bright emerald even in the dark.

His thumb swept across Sakura’s smiling face, the cold gloss of the photo a sharp contrast to the warm white skin he’d felt at his fingertips the day of his departure.

“She’s been missing you, you know. Dattebayo…” Naruto muttered from his quiet corner of the room.

Everybody looked expectantly at Sasuke as if they wanted him to admit the same feeling.

When Sasuke remained silent instead, it was Kakashi who spoke up once more. “I’ll be joining the search team this time around. I’ll take Sai with me to help cover the terrain and also Naruto—”

“Who should be continuing his Jounin studies instead,” Shikamaru scrutinized the to-be Hokage.

“But it’s Sakura-chan! I can’t just stay on the sidelines when my teammate is in need of help!”

Of course Naruto could never just sit on his ass whenever his friend was in trouble. Sasuke had a first-hand experience of just how passionate the Jinchūriki could be when it came to friendships and he vividly recalled that experience involved threats of breaking bones and dragging him home by his hair.

Nobody could stop Naruto from joining the search for Sakura.

The corner of Sasuke’s mouth tipped up just the slightest as Shikamaru and Naruto bickered over priorities. He returned his attention to the older man before him. “You’re Hokage now. You’re still allowed to take missions?”

“Technically, no, I’m not,” Kakashi answered, leaning back against his chair only to wince when his back cracked. “But seeing as the person missing is my beloved former student, I feel a nostalgic sense of responsibility for her wellbeing.”

At the back of his mind, Sasuke wondered if his sensei was also referring to the time when he himself had gone missing from the village to start his quest for power.

“Why don’t you just admit you’re using this rescue op as an excuse to shirk your duties just like Naruto?” sighed Shikamaru.

“I’m telling the truth,” Kakashi smiled behind his mask. “Besides, I think my ninken have a better chance of finding Sakura than the Inuzuka’s. Since she’s my former student, I’m sure my dogs are quite familiar with her scent. Pakkun and Sakura use the same shampoo too, so he should be able to pick up something despite the snow. Plus, Lady Tsunade will be arriving soon to step in during my absence.”

“So when do we leave?” Sasuke asked, feeling like this conversation was going on far too longer than necessary.

“I take it that means you’ll be joining us after all?”

“I’m already here anyways,” he grunted, ignoring the way Kakashi’s brows had shot up.

“What did I tell you, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto burst out with a proud grin. He stepped over to sling an arm across Sasuke’s shoulders, throwing a thumbs up to their old sensei. “Of course he’d do it!”

It was too much of a hassle to deny the truth. Especially when his best friend knew him too well, as much as it annoyed Sasuke outside of battle.

“I owe her,” he said. “That’s all.”

In fact, he owed her much more than this, but he didn't think he could ever fully pay Sakura back for all he'd done to her and all she'd done for him. Redemption didn’t happen overnight and although he’d told Sakura that his sins had nothing to do with her, he’d still done plenty of wrong by her. 

_‘She’s been missing you, you know.’_

Somehow, hearing that had made him happy, but... but what about her other feelings?

_Does she also still love me?_

“Heeeh—you owe her, huh? Is that all there is to it?” taunted Naruto.

The Hokage hummed and said nothing else, but the skeptical glint in those onyx eyes was enough for Sasuke to click his tongue and turn his gaze away to refuse the bait.

“Listen, Sasuke, I didn’t request your help just because of your… connection to Sakura,” Kakashi’s voice had lowered with a sense of solemnity. “I’m concerned that this situation may be more serious than it seems. It’s as you said: Sakura is completely capable of taking care of herself. She’s not someone who can easily be taken down, especially when there are people awaiting her help. Which is why it's worrisome for something like this to happen.”

Sasuke grunted in affirmation. Yes, he had to admit it was disturbing that someone as powerful as Sakura had just up and vanished. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was to blame for her sudden disappearance, just like that time with Kido. His eyes were just one of many reasons why he’d decided it was best to stay away from the village as much as possible. Those who sought his dōjutsu were likely to come after people precious to him. It was no surprise that Sakura had been Kido’s target. Still, reading through Koyuki’s report, there was no mention of anyone looking for a Sasuke Uchiha or that the Sharingan was involved this time. At least Kido had made it obvious what his intentions were. There was no lead for this case.

Unless there was a different reason for Sakura’s disappearance? Did someone hold a personal vendetta against her? Sasuke could think of no one. Many of Konoha’s villagers admired the young kunoichi for her great contributions to the war. Not to mention her tenacity and rep as one of the world’s greatest medical-nins had cultivated a large following of admirers, although her beauty might've had something to do with that as well. Some sought to follow in her footsteps while others sought a more intimate relationship with her. It was much easier to compile a list of people in love with the doctor than it was to list those who hated her.

He gave pause at another thought—one that made him frown with ire. "Could the person responsible for her disappearance possibly be… an obsessed fan?"

"An obsessed fan?" Naruto tipped a brow at the title.

"You mean," Kakashi spoke slowly, "someone who's sick in love with her? Someone who might've kidnapped her for… a more intimate purpose?"

Beside him, Naruto shuddered. Sasuke's single hand tightened into a bone-white fist as darker thoughts invaded his mind. "Aa…"

"It's plausible," Shizune’s brows pinched together thoughtfully. "It's not uncommon for a patient to develop romantic or sexual feelings towards their caregiver. During the war, shinobi and samurai alike from the six nations were always lined up at Sakura's tent. She had to have been receiving a love letter at least once a day."

Sasuke blinked at that. It’d been years since the war’s end and nobody had deemed to tell him this until now?

"Well, when you've got beauty, brains, _and_ brawns, what can you do?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Right?!" Naruto's blue gaze slid over to Sasuke's as he smirked. "Sakura-chan's got the whole package!"

"That sounds like such a drag," Shikamaru mumbled.

Discomfort twisted in Sasuke’s gut but he ignored it. Instead, he asked, "Could it be someone from Konoha?"

"Not likely," Shizune shook her head. "Especially if they're a patient, then they'd still be at the hospital or else we’d notice if one of ours has gone missing. If it's a former patient then the possibility would still be very low. Sakura's delivery is the first mission to the Land of Spring in many years. Since your team went there, to be exact. No other Leaf shinobi has been deployed there since then."

"That's right," Shikamaru said. "And if any Leaf shinobi had followed Sakura there, our sensory units would have picked up their departure."

With a sigh, Shizune shook her head. "But the problem is that Sakura is a world-renowned medical-nin. She has admirers all over the world. So if your theory is right, then it's likely a shinobi from another land."

"Someone from another land..." Sasuke couldn’t help but think aloud, still possessed by the idea that men had been handing her love letters, all of which she’d rejected in favor of… him? He wondered if Sakura had ever regretted rejecting any of those men while waiting for he who continued to wander the world endlessly. Did any of those men still hold the same love for her as they did during the war? Or had the tides of time wash away those feelings? “Maybe… it’s someone she’d met from the Alliance?”

“From the Alliance?” Shizune repeated him. “You mean one of the men who visited her tent?”

"Hold on a minute," Kakashi raised a hand to stop them there. "We can't just start pointing fingers at our own allies. We've worked this hard for peace between all the shinobi nations. One wrong move could incite another unnecessary world war."

Naruto's bandaged arm slipped off Sasuke's shoulder as the young war hero's expression darkened with memories from the war they'd survived not too long ago.

Sasuke had to admit the old man spoke nothing but the truth. For now, it was just a theory and it was best that it remained so. Still, with no clues to follow up on besides her last sighting, they were going to be searching blindly and that would slow them down even more.

It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

No, it was more accurate to say that it’d be like looking for a cherry blossom in a blizzard.

“If we’re done here, you have half an hour to prepare and meet us at the gates,” Kakashi announced, shuffling the documents on his desk into an organized stack. “Arrangements for a boat have already been made, so we’ll be heading to the port. We have to move quickly before the snow covers everything.”

“Before you go,” Shizune stepped forward, hands clasped together with worry, “about the vaccine… It’s fine if you find Sakura and she somehow no longer has the supplies. She should be able to reproduce more. If you do find the supplies with her, make sure to keep them stored in a cold area. The cold temperature will preserve the effectiveness and potency. But... more importantly,” the advisor bowed low, “please bring Sakura back home safely!”

“Heh, you can count on us!” Naruto thumped a fist against his chest, grinning confidently as ever.

Sasuke’s eyes slid to the other person in the room who’d been keeping quiet for most of the briefing. The last time he remembered being this close to the Anbu member had been when he’d put him under a Genjutsu at Orochimaru’s hideout. Sai had sweat with fear then, but looking at his blank face now, Sasuke wondered how his former replacement felt, standing before him once more.

Catching Sasuke’s surreptitious gaze, the Anbu member smiled, obsidian eyes closing to portray the picture of friendliness.

“I understand,” Sasuke merely said, turning away from them to leave for preparations.

.

.

.

Upon entering his apartment, the first thing Sasuke noticed was the thick layer of dust coating every surface. He coughed, waving away specks of it that’d been disturbed from his arrival. Well, it’d been how long since he’d last been here? He couldn’t even remember. The days flew by when he was traveling the land, and the young Uchiha could not be bothered to count how long his redemption journey was taking.

He entered his room, inhaling the stale air and moving to open the balcony doors. The ends of his poncho lifted beneath the fresh breeze that swept in. Dropping his current knapsack by the doorway, he opened his closet to find another one. At the far corner, hidden in the shadow of the shelf, he spotted a sizable bag. It was a wonder how the moths hadn’t touched it.

Sasuke fingered the frayed strap of the taupe bag, remembering how he’d favored carrying it on his left shoulder since Sakura would often try to be hugging his right side.

There was a hole the size of his finger on the bottom right. He stared at it as a more specific memory resurfaced.

_“I can patch it for you, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura wrung her hands together, emerald eyes glittering with eagerness. “I know how to sew, so if you give me your bag when we make camp tonight, I can_ — _”_

_“No thanks,” he said, stuffing his hands into both pockets. The sun glared down at him and he closed his eyes as he continued to follow after Naruto. “I was thinking of buying a new bag anyway.”_

_“O-Oh…” Sakura’s steps faltered and she fell behind him. “I see…”_

_Keeping his eyes shut, Sasuke missed the disappointment that’d flashed across Sakura’s face. Nor did he notice how their sensei peeked at them from behind his book, his free hand reaching out to give his student a sympathetic pat on her pink head._

He’d bought that new bag… only to lose it at some point during his training with Orochimaru. From that point on, he’d not carried any bags with him since.

A sigh escaped him as he studied the worn-out backpack.

Tearing his eyes away from the hole, Sasuke perused his closet in search of an extra poncho to fill the bag with. Few clothes hung on the rack; he didn’t need many anyway since he was away from the village most of the time. However, the clothes he wore now were a bit tattered, especially the poncho he hardly took off. Looking through his closet now, though, Sasuke found only an extra cloak. The material was thick and dyed an off-white; ideal for snowy conditions, but a bit too short for his height. He probably could have fit it better a few years ago as a teenager. As a young man? Well, better than nothing.

By the time he left his apartment, the rest of Konoha was already in the midst of waking up. A quiet chatter pervaded the streets as the morning sun broke into the valley, illuminating the bustling villagers starting their day.

He passed by shopkeepers who were too occupied setting up shop to notice him. Tilting his head down, he let the bangs framing his face fall forward to hide the Rinnegan from any wandering eye. Most villagers had forgotten what Sasuke’s face looked like, but anybody could recognize him just by glimpsing the strange purple eye on his left side.

Nobody paid any mind towards the worn traveler though as he made his way to the village gates. 

A gaggle of schoolchildren dashed by and he sidestepped for one of the girls too busy giggling with a boy to pay Sasuke any mind. The happy blush on the girl’s face nearly matched the red ribbon woven into her brown braids.

The Uchiha stopped in his tracks, mismatched eyes following the girl’s strawberry-red ribbon fluttering in the wind.

_“Good morning, Sasuke-kun!” The young kunoichi bounded over to him on the bridge, biting back a smile. She bent over slightly, hands folded behind her back as if she were holding a surprise for him. “Hehe! Notice anything different about me today?”_

_“Not really?” He peered at her, dark eyes lingering on his teammate for a second before he returned his attention forward. At the corner of his eye, she squirmed from the lack of attention, but Sasuke kept his gaze on the blue of the lake rather than the red figure at his side._

_The summer sun beat down on his dark head and he wiped away a bead of sweat from his brow. Kakashi was late as usual, but it seemed the Dobe had slept in today. He leaned against the rails of the bridge, the stone hot at his sweaty back._

_He heard a small noise of impatience, and then_ —

_“It’s my Hitai-ate!” Sakura’s voice cut through his thoughts, the sound of it too peppy this early in the morning. She scooted to his front, blocking the sight of the two swans he’d been studying during the wait. Pink cheeks accompanied by a bright smile filled his vision instead as Sakura bent down even further to prove her point. Polished metal gleamed and he flinched at the light it reflected at him. “See the color? What do you think?”_

_“It’s red,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. He looked away to relieve his eyes of the light bounced at him._

_“Yeah, but...” Spring green orbs flicked up and down as she tucked a stray lock of pink behind an ear that almost matched the shade of her forehead protector. “I-I mean, do you… like it?”_

_He shrugged with disinterest._

_Like it? It was just a Hitai-ate_ — _the same as his. The only difference was that the band of cloth was red instead of the standard blue she’d worn up till now. Besides, red wasn’t his color._

_Before Sasuke could say that aloud, the sound of Naruto calling to them interrupted their quiet morning. He turned away from Sakura to face the blond-haired boy. Their sensei trailed lazily just a few feet behind._

_"Hey, Sakura-chan! Your hair looks nice today!" Naruto grinned at her, studying the red band of cloth wrapping her hair back._

_Sasuke crossed his arms, expecting the kunoichi to whack the boy and say something like: ‘I didn’t ask for your opinion!’_

_"Really?" She smiled instead, but it lacked the peppiness from a moment ago._

_"Naruto's right; the red goes really well with your cherry blossom hair color, Sakura." Kakashi's single grey eye closed with a smile that could barely be seen behind his mask. “It suits you.”_

_"Oh," Pink returned to her cheeks as Sakura tugged on the front locks of her hair. "Th-Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."_

_Sasuke frowned at their teacher. "You're late. Again. And so are you," he turned to Naruto._

_The boy laughed off the glare. "I, uh.. overslept a bit_ — _so what? All that training and hard work knocked me out, dattebayo!"_

 _"As for me," Kakashi began, "an old lady needed_ — _"_

_"Just save it." Sasuke spun around, his frown deepening when he felt a meek gaze at his back. Like a cat staring at him after he'd just ignored its pleas for his attention. He walked on. "We're already running late because of you two, so hurry up."_

_"Man, what's his problem?" Naruto complained somewhere from behind._

“You’re early,” Sasuke noted aloud as he reached the gates.

“Well,” Kakashi chuckled quietly, “time is of the essence. Besides, what kind of Hokage would I be if I were late to every meeting?”

Knowing old habits die hard, Sasuke didn’t bother to comment on that. He was pretty sure the Lord Sixth had his advisors, Shikamaru and Shizune, to thank for when it came to arriving on time.

“Hey, Kakashi-sensei—ah! Sorry, I mean Lord Hokage,” Naruto chuckled between him and Sai.

“‘Sensei’ is just fine, Naruto. At least during our mission.”

“Well, yeah, I was wondering how does it feel for you to be out on the field after so long?”

“It feels nice,” answered Kakashi. “I’ve been wanting to stretch my legs for a while, so this is a nice opportunity. I only wish the circumstances could be better.”

“It almost feels like the good old days.”

“By ‘good old days’, you mean the days when you and Sasuke would be bickering and constantly trying to one-up the other?”

“Sounds fun,” Sai commented with a smile.

“W-Well, yeah, those days!” Naruto laughed. “If only Sakura-chan was here…”

Flipping his orange _Icha Icha_ book open, Kakashi replied, “It’ll be fine once we recover Sakura and return home. We’ll have a proper team reunion then.”

Behind them, Sasuke shifted at that. Silently, he wondered if Sakura herself would be fine. Besides brute strength, she had always been strong when it came to willpower and of the mind. Having worked her way from the very bottom to the very top, she was the kind of person who’d learned to achieve things by putting her mind to it.

As someone from the main branch of the Uchiha clan, people had always praised Sasuke as a genius or a prodigy. It was expected of him merely because of his bloodline. On the other hand, Sakura, who had come from a line of civilians with no rep to their name let alone a kekkei genkai… she was a self-made genius.

He’d always held the utmost respect for those who come from absolutely nothing and had to work twice as hard as the privileged to make something of themselves. It was no wonder Sakura had so many admirers… Sasuke wasn’t sure why he’d been surprised to hear about that.

“Worried about Sakura-chan?” Naruto chimed in, as if he knew exactly what was on his best friend’s mind.

Unsure if Naruto was referring to the bit about the love letters and secret admirers, Sasuke kept his face impassive and his reply neutral. “She can take care of herself.” Everyone seemed to be trying to goad him into… into what? Well, whatever it was, he was starting to feel annoyed by it all. “Emotions get in the way of the mission,” he added for good measure.

“Te… Teme!” Infuriated by his indifference, Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. “You should be more upset!”

“Calm down, Naruto,” Kakashi called out to them. “That’s not what Sasuke means.”

“I don’t get it,” the Uzumaki shook his head. Sky-blue eyes filled with—disappointment?—peered at him from the corner. “After all this time, and you still can’t… Ah, never mind!”

Sasuke raised a brow at his teammate already stomping ahead of him and grumbling to himself.

 _I still can’t_ what _?_

Kakashi fell back to him as if hearing his silent question. Even without turning his head, Sasuke could practically see the small smile even that damn mask couldn’t hide. Small white puffs of air seeped through the mask as the older man quietly chuckled to himself.

“What?” Sasuke grunted.

“The last time you left this village, you said you wanted to get to know the world again through the current you. To sort out your feelings and see the things you’ve overlooked before… But, after all that time traveling the world,” his former sensei rubbed his chin, “it seems there are some things you still have trouble perceiving.”

His brows lowered into a frown once more, but Sasuke said nothing. How could he forget how the old man loved to get under his skin? Sometimes he wondered if the closet pervert did it for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of him. The guy did love some drama after all.

“Well, maybe seeing Sakura will change something about those dull eyes of yours,” Kakashi commented behind his book, ignoring the scowl his student threw at him. “After all,” his grey stare slid from the pages to fix onto Sasuke, “your eyes are the ones that reflect the heart.”

At that, Sasuke’s scowl slowly fell away and he glanced back at the gates they’d passed through.

_“And what if I said… that I wanted to come with you?”_

_Jade green met with a mix of onyx and amethyst as Sakura struggled to meet his eyes. The blush dusting her fair cheeks complemented the shyness of her gaze._

_Sasuke studied her a moment longer before closing his eyes lest he give in. “This is a trip to atone for my sins,” he asserted. “And my sins have nothing to do with you.”_

_“Nothing to do with_ — _” She keeled over in defeat and regret panged in his chest. “Huh…”_

 _Ignoring the way Kakashi observed the two from her side, Sasuke leaned towards her and_ —

_Those pouting lips made a small gasp. Her emerald stare glimmered vivaciously as his fingertips rested against the purple diamond of her seal. Ah, there it was again. That look she’d often give him no matter the distance between them._

_Love._

_Such open love that made her eyes sparkle like gems._

_Had she always looked at him like that since the beginning? He might’ve noticed it before, but it was only now that he could fully appreciate it._

_Sasuke smiled. “Next time, I promise.”_

If she could still love him after all he’d done to her… then was it possible that she still loved him even now?

“When Sakura-chan sees Sasuke, I’ll bet she’ll be really happy!” Naruto’s voice boomed across the snowy road. “A girl’s feelings can’t change so easily—dattebayo!”

Once again, Sasuke wondered if the dobe could somehow read minds. Or was his face that much of an open book?

“Yes, even under torture, she’s likely still thinking of him,” Sai added.

While Naruto chided their teammate for his unnecessary comment, Sasuke’s thoughts wandered back to that time at the village gates. He didn’t need any dōjutsu to see how her eyes had reflected nothing but unconditional love back then.

Once they found her, Sasuke wondered if those eyes would still be as warm and bright like last time.

* * *

Deep in a cave huddled a young woman far from the thralls of the snowfall. Pink locks trembled and swayed as her head twitched.

She could not speak. Not yet.

But she could move, and that was what truly mattered.

White fingers spasmed around the handle of a kunai before locking onto it with a tight grip. It took considerable effort to move the limb, but easier than earlier when she’d awoken.

The blade made a small _**‘clink’**_ as the tip of it lay poised against her inner wrist. She raked it up, watching the red line spread up her forearm as her fingertip traced it. The wound sealed closed under her chakra-lit finger until only a drop of blood sat on her pale skin.

Licking the blood away, she gazed at her arm, turning it this way and that to marvel at it. The flesh was supple and smooth, yet the sinew of strong muscles were corded tight beneath the delicate skin, a fair white marble unblemished by any scars.

Without warning, her head jerked back uncontrollably. The dagger fell from her hand, clattering against stone as both arms fell to her sides, limp and useless for the time being.

In due time, she would get used to the power and grace contained within this frame.

 _As I thought_ , Sakura smiled to herself—although, in reality, her lips only twitched— _this body is perfect._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Writing Sasuke in a romance fic without making him too OOC is a lot more difficult than I'd expected, even more so when there are so many characters in one room. Once we'll get to Sakura, we'll see more intimate thoughts from Sasuke as he develops throughout the story.**
> 
> This is a bit of a slow chapter but things pick up in the next chapter, so stay tuned!


	3. Scattered Blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: How many flashbacks do I want?  
> Me to me: yes

The ship tilted as a harsh wind snapped at the sails. The waters, normally a sparkling blue, were grey and rough, reflecting the dreary sky above and tussling the ship below it.

Sasuke raised his gaze from the choppy waves upon hearing a sharp ‘caw’ from somewhere in the distance. Two ravens circled each other a couple yards ahead, winds flapping in a panic as a gust knocked them off course for a moment. They steadied themselves immediately, broad black wings unfolding all the way to ride the sudden current.

Finally, after hours of what had felt like an endless wait, they’d arrived at the Land of Spring. The snow-capped mountains in the distance could already be seen from here. The sight of which dredged up an old memory of endless fields of assorted flowers.

He resumed his study of the birds as he heard the footsteps of someone approaching him from behind. “We’ll be laying anchor soon enough,” Kakashi said, confirming Sasuke’s suspicions. “I’ve sent Sai to fly ahead and scout our path since the roads tend to get covered up by the snow.”

“Are we to travel on foot for the whole mission?” Last time, at least Director Makino had been more than willing to pay their entire travel expenses. This time, the money would be coming right from Konoha’s pockets, although Sasuke was sure that the Konoha Council would spare no expense for someone as prominent in position as Sakura.

“For the most part, yes,” answered Kakashi. “It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s not because the village can’t afford the vehicles to transport us. When searching for someone, it’s best to look by foot or you’ll miss the smaller clues. Take it from someone who’s had experience looking for a missing student.”

“Hnn…” Unamused by the joke, Sasuke brushed it aside to say, “It was a good idea to bring Sai after all.”

“It’s more efficient to have at least one eye in the sky,” Kakashi nodded, grey eyes flitting back to where Naruto had yelled triumphantly in the midst of his card game with some of the crew. “We want to find Sakura just as quickly as you do. So it’s a good thing the railroad through the mountain has been repaired since we were last here. It should take us close to Hanabana Village where Sakura was last seen.”

“But Sakura-chan’s not there anymore. So shouldn’t we just go on ahead?” Naruto joined them, arms crossed behind his head as he followed their gaze to the white land looming closer to them.

Shaking his head, Sasuke explained, “We should investigate a bit first. We need to gather as much information as possible since we don’t have any leads at the moment.”

“Yes, Sasuke’s right,” Kakashi spoke over the noise of bells tolling, calling for the crewmates to lay anchor. “Besides, a lead will give Pakkun a place to start. For now, finding anything on Sakura will help a great deal.”

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke peered at the older man. Their sensei hadn’t mentioned what they would do if they ended up finding nothing at the village at all, but Sasuke knew he’d been thinking of it. Yet, despite this pessimistic view, the one thing that really kept him going was his belief in Sakura. After all, she was not just a survivor but also a fighter, and Sasuke knew without a doubt that she was still alive out there.

 _She is_ , he told himself once more. She had to be.

The others began to make their way off the ship, but Sasuke spared one last look to the two ravens now flying back home to the far cliffs in the distance.

.

.

.

The train station was nearly empty of any people save for the young Anbu standing by the benches. Even though there was hardly anyone around to compare him to, it was clear that the man did not belong to this country. Besides his hitai-ate, the most telling sign was his paper-white skin and the way he stood firmly at attention, shoulders lax but dark eyes keen for any hint of danger. Those dark eyes met with Sasuke’s as he and the others reached the station.

“It seems we’re the only customers at this time,” Sai said, handing out their train tickets individually.

Naruto stared in awe at the tracks that lead into the cold mouth of the mountain’s tunnel. “Amazing! They really did repair the railroad—it looks completely different from last time! Hey, Sasuke, isn’t this great news?”

Sasuke grunted in agreement, but Kakashi clapped a hand on his shoulder, adding, “Of course he’s pleased about it. This way we can move more quickly. The less time it takes to find Sakura the better, right?”

Ignoring the Copy Ninja’s poorly hidden smirk, Sasuke trekked on ahead to enter the closest cart. The others followed closely behind, their heavy footsteps thudding loudly amid the silent train. He wasn’t exactly bothered by the lack of people, but it did prompt his curiosity. The Land of Spring had always been a small nation that garnered little attention from the five great shinobi nations, but it had developed greatly under Koyuki’s ruling nonetheless. At least before the war had hit.

The absence of travelers, particularly during the season of the flu, was likely one of the war’s lasting effects. It was always the smaller countries such as this one that suffered the most and recovered the slowest. At that idea, Sasuke thought back to something Naruto had mentioned to him back at the ship. Apparently, the Land of Spring wasn’t the first place Sakura had visited to provide her services. She’d been traveling to other villages as well, aiding those in need and offering whatever medical care they lacked. It was a wonder how they’d never crossed paths before, and disappointment had twisted low in Sasuke’s stomach despite his impassive face.

He let out a sigh, his breath puffing out as white smoke. Unfortunately, with the lack of other people also came the lack of heat to fill the space of the cart.

Inhaling the brisk air, Sasuke turned to where his bag sat beside him so he could retrieve a pair of gloves. Ice-cold fingers tugged out the thick material, but instead of the gloves he’d stored earlier this morning, he found himself holding an older pair. He paused at the sight of the navy gloves he'd worn long ago as a boy, the fingertips slightly frayed from use in combat.

_“Here,” she held out the gloves to him, the navy cloth a sharp contrast to her red fingerless gloves. “It gets colder at night and I brought an extra pair with me. They should fit you.”_

_“I’ll manage," said Sasuke, keeping both hands tucked beneath his arms. “Besides, I like having a proper grip on my weapons.”_

_“Oh…” Turning her face down, she eyed the navy gloves and the fingerless ones she wore. Dainty fingers picked distractedly at the blue knitting. “Yeah, I guess that would be a bother.”_

_He watched her put away the gloves she’d offered him before he closed his eyes. The window didn’t offer much to look at except for ice, ice, and… well, more ice. Without the railroad working, they were moving at a snail’s pace through the mountain in these old vehicles. But, he had to admit, it was better than moving on foot._

_Still, the cold was making him drowsy, especially with his cloak wrapping around him like a heavy blanket._

_Just as his chin started to dip down, Sasuke felt a slight trembling at his side. Peeking at Sakura through his lashes, he noticed the way she hugged herself. The gloves she wore extended only as far as her elbows, leaving her upper arms bare to the freezing temperatures. She suppressed another shiver, petite body ironically shaking with the effort, and Sasuke quietly sighed before moving his arm to press it firmly against hers._

_As he expected, her bare skin was ice cold._

_Feeling her shy stare on him, he mumbled, “It’s tight here.”_

_“Oh! S-Sorry!” She scooted to the window, giving him her last inch of space which he took up as he moved with her. Finding herself sandwiched snugly between him and the wall, a warm pink bloomed to replace the paleness of her cheeks. “U-Um…”_

_He kept silent, grateful for the bangs that framed his face now hiding his reddening ears. Thankfully, she said nothing for the remainder of the ride, though the blush on her face stayed even when Director Makino had the vehicle halt to shoot a brief scene._

“We’re here,” Kakashi announced from a few rows down.

As they exited the train, Sasuke peered up at an ink bird that swooped down to perch itself on Sai’s outstretched arm. The bird cooed into his ear before he pointed his free hand towards their left. “Hanabana Village is just beyond that hill over there.”

Following the direction of his finger, Sasuke saw nothing but snow for miles all around. He realized how easy it would be for anyone to get lost in a place like this, especially during a snowstorm. Normally, he’d rely on the position of the sun to tell him the time or point him north, but bleak clouds currently obscured the large star.

“This place looks exactly the same as the last time we arrived here,” grumbled Naruto, stomping his way through the snow.

“It can’t be helped since it’s winter,” Kakashi replied. “All the green is covered by snow until spring.”

Yes, it was a disappointment to come to a place called the Land of Spring, and yet see nothing but snow and ice at every turn where one would expect flowers and endless green pastures instead. “It’s almost disorienting here without a map,” Sasuke said.

A sly grin broke out on Naruto’s face. “Hey, maybe we should just go to Kazahana Castle and ask Princess Gale—uh, I mean, Lady Koyuki for directions, y’know?”

“Naruto, we’re here for business, not pleasure,” Kakashi eyed the boy in exasperation. “Besides, Lady Koyuki is a busy woman as the daimyō of this land.”

“I know, but—” A snowball to the face interrupted him and Naruto glared at the direction it came from. “Sai, what the heck?!”

“I’ve read stories of how friends do this for fun,” the Anbu smiled, holding another snowball as if it were a weapon.

As fast as a kunai, the snowball cut through the air to land smack on the blond man’s face, prompting him to sputter from the burst of cold. Before Sai could rearm himself, Naruto was already fisting at the snow, a wicked glint in his blue eyes. From Kakashi’s side, Sasuke watched the two men pepper each other with snowballs as if they were sparring.

Back then, perhaps he would’ve engaged in the fight if only to keep the Uzumaki from outshowing him. Right now, however, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Sharing a sigh with the older man, he moved to take the lead. “That’s enough already.”

“Hoh?” The grin on the Uzumaki’s face spread even further with mischief. His hand reeled back, directed towards the Uchiha. “Sasuke!!!”

Without looking, the Uchiha tilted his head to the side, letting the snowball zip harmless by him. There was a cry of indignation as Sasuke continued walking, shifting himself ever so slightly to avoid the barrage of snowballs Naruto flung at him from behind. For a split second, Sasuke considered unleashing Susanoo to lob a mountain-sized snowball, if only to end the fight right then and there, but he tucked the idea away. The days in which he’d competed with Naruto in his lust for power were long over anyway.

Suddenly, there were multiple ‘poof’ noises, and Sasuke reached for the sword at his back. His chokutō slid out in a flash and he spun it, the blade whirring to deflect the volley of snowballs Naruto’s shadow clones pelted him with. At this point, Sakura would have definitely knocked some sense into Naruto, hard enough to bury the to-be Hokage six feet under the snow. For a moment, he could imagine her at his side, her glove creaking as she tightened her hand into a fist.

Bits of white sprayed onto his raven locks as some snowballs collided with the side of his sword. He shook his head free of the snow, shaking the image of Sakura away as well.

“Naruto,” Kakashi’s voice echoed with the authority of a Hokage.

Soon enough, there was a groan of defeat at his back and Sasuke’s lips twitched up, hearing the sound of the shadow clones poofing away.

“Now’s not the time for a snowball fight,” Kakashi said, calmly snatching a snowball that’d been aimed for his head and throwing it back with deadly accuracy. He thumbed the next page of his book. “You can continue once Sakura is recovered. I doubt she’ll appreciate being left out like this.”

“Wait, Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto froze, flinching when Sai hit him on the cheek, “it might be deadly with Sakura-chan’s monstrous strength…”

“I’m sure you’ll survive like always.”

“There’s the village,” Sasuke interrupted them, having paused at the sight of rooftops dusted white.

Seeing the open gates that were decorated with ropes of dried flowers, he found his legs working harder to move through the snow faster. Bright yellow lights enticed the others with the hope of warmth and they soon picked up the pace as well.

As they entered the village, the first thing Sasuke noticed was the sweet scent that assaulted their noses. It was faint in general, and very floral, but it seemed to stick to their clothes and everywhere else.

“It smells like Ino’s shop,” Sai commented, the corners of his lips turned up just the slightest as he closed his eyes to inhale.

“It definitely smells like a village of flowers,” Kakashi agreed. “But it’s strange when you don’t see any. Although, it is winter after all.”

Naruto tipped his face back to sniff at the efflorescent aroma filling the crisp air. “I can smell a bit of Granny Tsunade’s perfume!” 

Sasuke found himself following suit, distracted by a particular mix of sweet notes. He detected a creamy vanilla with traces of almond as well as a faint hint of lilac and roses. Cherry blossom locks of hair flashed in his mind and he snapped open his eyes, realizing belatedly how focused he’d been on the fragrance. Feeling his cheeks heat up, he raised the hood of his poncho.

“Let’s check the inn first,” Kakashi suggested. “If she visited any establishment, the inn or a bar would be the most likely place.”

The young and the old stared at the men as they walked through, intrigued by the shinobi travelers. Clearly, they were no ordinary tourists looking to stay for a bit of vacation, and so Sasuke reasoned that it was normal to attract such attention. Even so, discomfort simmered in his gut when one kid pointed a chubby finger at his face and commented aloud on the strange violet eye.

He resisted the urge to pull his purple head wrappings down much like Kakashi often did when he still had the Sharingan. He was used to people staring at his eye out of curiosity, but not so many at the same time. At least with shinobi, they’d understand it was a dōjutsu of some sort. On the other hand, civilians who were not used to seeing shinobi would only see something to be feared.

Which the Rinnegan was.

More than once during his travels, Sasuke had encountered victims of the war scarred by the power and might of the shinobi. It was natural for them to fear a man like him. It was natural to be intimidated by his eye, regardless if he’d given them nothing but a harmless glance. And, of course, it was natural if they wanted to throw rocks his way as well.

The discomfort subsided once they entered the inn, most of which was empty of patrons save for the innkeeper dozing in his chair. The elderly man’s wiry glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his nose as his head gently swayed side to side with each snore.

Sai eyed the bell on the corner of the desk.

**_DING!_ **

“Gah!” The man fell off his chair but recovered just as quickly, standing up straight to greet them with a practiced smile. The glasses had miraculously survived the fall, still balancing perilously on his face. “Y-Yes,” the innkeeper cleared his throat. “Four rooms… or, err, are you all together..?”

“What?” Kakashi’s brows shot up. Shaking his head, he slid Sakura’s photo across the desk. “No, we’re not here to stay. We’re looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”

The innkeeper picked up the photo, eyes squinting through his glasses to study Sakura’s features. A few seconds passed, and then a couple more. Each second that ticked by, the men held their breaths in anticipation, watching the elderly man hum in contemplation.

“Well?” Naruto drawled out.

“Hmmm….” Scrutiny transformed into awe as the innkeeper muttered, “Wait! This girl…”

“Yeah?”

“She’s….” The men subconsciously leaned forward and the innkeeper smiled, cheeks rosy with excitement, “she’s a real beauty!”

Naruto and Kakashi keeled over in disappointment. Chuckling and cooing over the photo he held up, the innkeeper soon noticed the dark, menacing aura radiating from the man in the tattered poncho. He paled as Sasuke took a step forward, the single obsidian eye flashing crimson just before the elderly man raised his hands in surrender.

“N-No, I haven’t seen this woman in my life!”

Still not the news they were hoping to hear, Kakashi and Naruto sagged further in defeat.

“I’d know if I had a patron with a hair color like that,” the innkeeper added, returning his attention to the photo in hand. “Especially one with her looks.”

“It doesn’t seem like you even have any patrons at all, damn pervert…” muttered Naruto.

“What was that?!”

“Ah, I didn’t say anything?!”

Sai turned away from the desk, shaking his head. “It’s possible she didn’t stop for rest at all in this village, but continued on to Yukigakure. If so, that would explain how she got caught in the snowstorm.”

Kakashi nodded. “Still, I want to ask around some more before we leave. All right, I want everyone to split up and talk to the villagers. Make some inquiries. Ask if they’ve seen anything strange lately and, more importantly, if they’ve seen Sakura.”

“Wait,” Naruto’s brows pinched together in concern, “if Sakura-chan did get caught in the snowstorm, then she could still be out there freezing to death! Or maybe she’s already buried in the snow…”

“She’s smarter than that,” Sasuke felt compelled to say. To quell his friend’s worries, if not his own. “Kakashi’s right. If we ask the other villagers, we might find the person who saw her last. They can point us in the right direction.”

“Why not just summon the ninken now?” Sai proposed.

“The fragrance here is a bit intense,” Kakashi answered, rubbing the back of his neck in a poor attempt to hide his frustration. “I’m concerned that it’ll confuse the dogs. We’d still end up wandering around blindly in this snow, so our best bet is to find whoever saw Sakura last. At least we’ll have a proper lead then. Sasuke, you take the north side of the village. Naruto and I will cover the east and west while Sai covers this area. Understand? If you find something—or nothing—meet back here.”

There was a chorus of agreement before the innkeeper interrupted them. “Hey, so I can keep this photo?”

Kakashi tipped a brow at him. “Why?”

“Well, photos of attractive people in an establishment tend to attract attention and therefore more customers,” the elderly man chuckled sheepishly, tucking the photo close to his chest and nudging his glasses up. “It’s just business. You understand, don’t you?”

A breeze whipped through as Sasuke stepped before him and plucked Sakura’s photo out of his hands. Wordlessly, he walked away, slipping the photo safely within the confines of his grey flak jacket. His poncho flapping was the only sound he made in his wake.

“That’s a no,” Kakashi smiled at the innkeeper.

.

.

.

The scent of cherry blossoms seemed to trail after Sasuke as he trekked north of the village, observing his surroundings. He didn’t remember much of his mission in this country as a Genin, but there was something vaguely familiar about this village. Perhaps it was the way the villagers milled about, their quiet gossip filling the streets in contrast to Konohagakure’s more boisterous chatter. Or the stalls of food and trinkets native to this land, the faint spices mingling with the sweet aroma.

Admittedly, he was hungry, having not eaten all day since his breakfast had been given to the wild animals of the forest instead. But he wasn’t here as a tourist, and Sasuke was pressed to complete this mission as soon as possible. Time was of the essence, and every minute wasted didn't bode well for neither him nor Sakura.

His stomach grumbled in protest, but Sasuke ignored it.

Deciding it was best to avoid the street lined with the food stalls, he turned another corner, directly into an alleyway that normally would’ve been occupied by the more disreputable people of the village. Instead, he passed by merchants calling out prices and offering him deals for baubles he had no need for. Even during his journey, his eyes often glazed over the shiny trinkets that would only weigh his pockets needlessly. And yet, a particular glint in the corner of his eye drew Sasuke to a stop.

Without knowing it, his feet carried him to an array of jewelry that he’d never seen elsewhere. But he also knew it was not the first time he’d seen this kind of jewelry.

He picked up one of the silver chains, inspecting the braided links until his eyes landed on the pendant dangling at the bottom.

It was a tiny white flower, its youthful beauty trapped in clear crystal. It caught the light of the lanterns that lit up the street, the crystal filtering the delicate rays so that it twinkled with every movement.

_“Wow, how pretty!” Sakura exclaimed, hands pressed to her cheeks as she gaped at the display before her. She picked up a ring, holding it to the fresh sunlight that now spilled across the newly revived Land of Spring. “I’ve never seen jewelry like this before! Are these real flowers?”_

_“They sure are, and they’re fresh too!” A middle-aged man answered from behind the display, tying back a curtain a dark hair streaked grey into a ponytail. “We also have crocuses. Those are all the rage right now, in honor of our Lady Koyuki’s inauguration today.”_

_“Yeah, purple does seem to be the trend of this land,” Kakashi mused aloud, eyeing the colorful banners flapping in the wind in celebration of today._

_“Lavender is our nation’s color. You’ll be seeing it a lot nowadays, especially at the castle.”_

_“Do you have any cherry blossoms or white chrysanthemums?” asked Sakura._

_“Sure! We have every flower you can think of. This country isn’t called the Land of Spring for nothing!”_

_“I don’t get it,” Naruto peered at the jewelry from over her shoulder. “Why do girls always go gaga over some shiny trinket? I’d rather spend that money on ramen. At least that’ll fill you up!”_

_Sakura’s brow twitched into a frown. “And why are you the only one who goes gaga over ramen, hmm? Jewelry accentuates a girl’s beauty and brings out her femininity. Just watch,” she said, holding the necklace to her chest while turning aside. Brushing her hair back, she posed to let the crystallized flower catch the light. “What do you think, Sasuke-kun?”_

_The young Uchiha pulled his attention away from the weapons stall he’d been perusing through. He stared at the pendant twinkling against her chest for a moment before sharing his thoughts. “Don’t you think it’s impractical? Loose objects like that are a hazard,” Sasuke added when he was met with a blank stare. “They could get in the way of combat.”_

_“Hah?” Naruto frowned at him. “But I’ve had no trouble with Granny Tsunade’s necklace. If anything, it’s been nothing but a good luck charm for me!”_

_“No, Sasuke-kun's right. It'd only get in the way for me, just like my long hair did.” Smiling wryly, she returned one of the two necklaces she’d been holding. “I guess I’ll only buy one for Ino then.”_

_He raised a brow at the way Sakura’s smile tightened, but said nothing as she paid the merchant. With his face stuck in his book, Kakashi followed them from behind as they continued their way through the market aisle. Naruto led the way through the crowd of celebrators eager to shop for today’s festivities. The boy chuckled with glee, ogling every stall in every direction as his teammates ambled after him._

_At Sakura’s side, the young Uchiha noticed the many number of couples they passed by. It seemed after years of strife under Doto Kazahana, people of the Land of Spring were now eager to relax and enjoy their lives properly with their loved ones. Jealousy panged faintly in Sasuke’s chest for a brief moment. Unlike them, he would never be able to afford such a luxury. Not while his brother was still out there..._

_“Oh, that's right,” Kakashi spoke up suddenly behind Sakura and Sasuke. He rummaged in his pocket before taking the kunoichi’s hand to drop something into it. “Here, Sakura.”_

_Green eyes widened at the necklace pooled in her palm. “Kakashi-sensei..?”_

_Sasuke frowned._

_“You wanted to buy that one for yourself, too, right?” His hand rose up to ruffle her pink head. “You've been working hard lately, and our mission with Lady Koyuki was a success, so this is my treat. It'll make for a nice memento too.”_

_“Hey, what about me?! I've been working really hard too, Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto piped up, jamming a thumb to his chest._

_Kakashi moved his hand to the blond’s head, using his grip to swivel the boy around so that he wouldn’t bump into anyone. “Sure, Naruto, why don't you go ahead and find a ramen shop for us then? Our boat shouldn't be ready until later, so we have some time to celebrate a bit.”_

_“All right! C'mon, Sakura-chan!” He grabbed the young girl by the arm, tugging her along in excitement. “Ooh, since it's Kakashi-sensei's treat, then I'm gonna order every topping from the menu!"_

_“Isn't that a bit too much, even for you?”_

_Sasuke moved to follow after his teammates in their quest for a ramen shop, interested in the idea of eating a proper meal after a hard day’s work._

_“Wait.” With a pause, he turned to look back at their sensei. Kakashi beckoned to him with the hand that didn’t hold his book. “Come here, Sasuke.”_

_“What? I didn't ask for anything.” He tried walking on ahead but the Jōnin laid a hand on his head, gentle like a pat but firm enough to be an authoritative gesture._

_“It's about earlier.” Slowly, Kakashi released him. “Listen, Sakura's a girl. Even though she's as much your comrade as Naruto is, the rules for her are a bit… different.”_

_Sasuke frowned at him. “Huh? If you're talking about bathroom trips in the middle of a mission, Sakura already taught Naruto to move a safe distance away.”_

_“That's… not exactly what I mean. All I'm saying is to let her have her fun as a girl.” Peering at him over his book, Kakashi added, “You guys are shinobi, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the simple pleasures in life.”_

_The simple pleasures in life? There were more important things at hand, like taking revenge on the one person who’d destroyed not just his whole family but also his clan._

_Clicking his tongue, Sasuke said, “I didn't tell her she couldn't buy the necklace? Besides, she doesn't have to listen to me.”_

_Kakashi sighed. “Maybe you're still too young to understand.”_

_The frown on Sasuke’s face deepened with displeasure. “Understand what?”_

_“It'll make sense for you when you're older. At least I hope it will…”_

_Sasuke’s lip began to curl in distaste as he gave the older man a sidelong look. “You’re not talking about the stuff in those Icha Icha books, are you?”_

_This time, the pat on his head was rough with affection and Kakashi chuckled, ruffling the grumbling boy’s head. “You’re still too young for that too.”_

“You buying that one?” The vendor asked from behind the display. The grey of his hair had now faded completely to a shocking white held together by a braid instead of a ponytail this time. “That one you’re holding there is a daffodil.”

“A daffodil..?” Sasuke studied the delicate white petals.

“Yep! In the language of flowers, the daffodil is a noble blossom that—”

_“_ — _braves the long cold months of winter,” Sakura said, setting the vase at his bedside and making sure the flower faced him. She moved to open the curtains of his hospital window. The morning light highlighted her figure in a warm rosy gold as she glanced back at him with a smile. “And then they bloom as one of the first signs of spring.”_

“So you buying it or not?”

Sasuke glanced back to the necklace he’d been holding. The white flower within the crystal looked as if it’d been plucked just an hour ago. “How are the flowers picked and preserved when it’s still winter?”

“Because they’re not made in the winter,” the man said. “We pick the flowers during spring as soon as they’ve reached full bloom. The clear crystal preserving the flower within is a mixture known as resin, but that’s all I’m gonna tell you—the rest is a trade secret! Now,” he rubbed his hands together, “in exchange for that information, you’re gonna have to buy something from me.”

“... All right.”

As he reached into his knapsack for his wallet, the vendor leaned over the display for a peek. His tawny eyes shined with greed and he said, “That’ll be 8,000 Ryo.”

Sasuke raised a brow at the high price but relented, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to help out a small business. That much Ryo was too much for a simple flower necklace, but he understood that this village sustained itself mostly as a hotspot for tourism. Handing over the money, Sasuke asked, "Have many tourists come through lately?"

The man thumbed through the bills, grunting distractedly. “Uh, no, not really. It's a pretty slow business during winter, but things pick up once there's no more snow to hinder people's travels."

"Then you would notice if a woman with pink hair passed by?"

"Oh, you know that pretty lady?"

Adrenaline spiked through Sasuke and he turned his full attention to the elderly man, his interest dialed up now. “So you’ve seen her?”

"Well, of course! Hard to take your eyes off a girl like that. Wait, is she your girl? The one the necklace is fo—"

“Did you see where she was going? What she was doing?" Sasuke pressed him.

"Hm, she was looking around…” He finally pulled his eyes away from the bills of ryo to look Sasuke in the eye, “but not like someone who's lost. It was more like she was studying the place and our conditions, I think. She talked mostly to the street kids. Lil’ brats wouldn't stop bugging her. They were intrigued by her extraordinary hair color, I suppose. She turned the corner down there,” he pointed beyond Sasuke’s shoulder, “made a right, but that's all I know."

“And the children she spoke to… Do you know where I can find them?”

“Yeah, head straight across from here until you reach the village border. They like to play by the wall.”

“Thanks,” said Sasuke, nodding in gratitude.

He pivoted in the direction of the children.

“And son?” Sasuke glanced back at the vendor smirking at him. “Whatever you did, you better apologize to your girl as soon as you catch up to her. Sometimes, jewelry ain't enough. You gotta tell her you're sorry, properly."

_“I’m sorry…”_

_“Sorry? For what?”_

_With too much to put it all into words, he simply answered, “For everything.”_

“Hnn…” He walked away, but the tearful voice of the young kunoichi continued to ring in his ears.

After all the tears and misery he’d squeezed out of her… All the pain and sadness she’d felt for him since that night of his departure… And all he’d said was a single ‘sorry’? It wasn’t enough, he knew that. No, it would never be enough. Even if Sakura forgave him, his heart was not as gentle and kind as hers and he did not have it in him to forgive himself.

“I’m sorry!” A young girl cried out, catching Sasuke’s attention.

He raised his gaze from the pendant in his hand to the group of kids crowded around a tree. They groaned and grumbled, cheeks puffed with frustration as they stared up into the naked branches. A ball was stuck there, unyielding to the numerous pebbles thrown at it.

He leaped forth, snatching the ball from the tree before landing just as quickly.

The children cheered for the arrival of their savior, but he remained quiet as he handed the ball to the girl who had apologized earlier. Initially, he expected her group of friends to protest her participation. Instead, he observed how they simply giggled and followed the girl back to the small field they’d been playing at. He watched her kick the ball with enthusiasm, completely unbothered by the incident caused by her mistake just then.

Was it really that easy to apologize to someone and move on just like that?

Sasuke stared at the children for a while longer until the ball was kicked over to a boy with bandaged hands. He traveled with the ball for a few seconds before passing it to a teammate. As the boy lingered at the edge of the field to catch his breath, Sasuke approached him, his steps crunching loudly on the snow to make his presence known.

“Your hands…” The boy jumped slightly at the sudden inquiry made towards him. “What happened to them?”

“Wh-What?”

Sasuke nodded at the bandages, noting that they were wrapped by a well-practiced hand and not just done haphazardly. “What happened to your hands?”

“Uhh…” Hesitant, the boy frowned at the strange man suddenly speaking to him. “I-I burned them… from playing with the snow too much. Who are you?”

Sasuke ignored the boy’s question to continue with his own. “Did you have them treated by a doctor?”

“Huh? No, it was just a kind lady passing by.” The boy paused, raising a hand to his chin. “Actually, I guess she could’ve been a doctor?”

“What did she look like?”

A moment passed and then pink crept across the boy’s face as he fidgeted with the bandages. “Um, she was really, really pretty…”

Sasuke blinked at the young child’s infatuation. “Yes, but what was her hair color? Eyes?”

The boy raised his gaze to the sky, contemplating. “Hm, her eyes were large and shaped like my cat’s… Oh! And they were really bright green. And her hair? Well, it was the color of that flower in spring. The pink one in the trees—what’s it called again?”

“Sakura blossoms,” Sasuke answered for him. “And do you know which direction she went?”

The boy turned his attention back to him, brown eyes landing on the sword hilt peeking over Sasuke’s back. Wariness replaced his expression and he shook his head. “Sorry, ‘fraid I forgot.”

Back then, Sasuke wouldn’t have hesitated to use the Sharingan on the kid. It would be quick and easy to extract the information from someone so young. But the Sasuke now merely knelt down and said, “The doctor is someone who helped me when I needed it. Now I think she’s the one who needs my help this time and I want to find her so I can do just that. Can you help me help her?”

“So… you’re her friend?”

Mismatched eyes peered over to the horizon. “Where the doctor and I are from, it’s more accurate to say that we’re comrades.”

The boy cocked his head. “What’s the difference?”

“A comrade is…” Memories of needles cutting him up and a stupid blond boy staring at him in disbelief flooded Sasuke’s mind, followed by a pink-haired kunoichi throwing herself between him and the path of a sand claw. “They’re someone you would give your life for without hesitation.”

If the boy understood what he meant, he made no sign of it. Shrugging, he nodded to the path leading from the field. “I last saw her leaving through the back gate over there. She said she needed to go to Yukigakure which is northwest of here, but then a freak snowstorm hit us not long after, so I don’t know if she made it. She might’ve had to take shelter somewhere.”

“Do you know where she might have found shelter at?”

“There are caves to the west if you follow the river nearby, but I don’t think she could have made it that far in that weather. Even if she did, there are predators in those parts, so that’d be trouble for her. Maybe…” His voice lowered into a mutter. “Maybe the abandoned hut?”

“The abandoned hut?” echoed Sasuke.

“It’s a little ways off the path to Yukigakure. If you head directly north, you should see it, but…”

“What is it?”

The boy hesitated. “The elders say it’s best to avoid it if you can.” Seeing the confusion in Sasuke’s face, he added, “They say… something really bad happened in that house a long time ago.”

“What happened?” Sasuke asked, now more curious than ever.

“I dunno.” He shrugged, feet shifting from the discomfort that seemingly plagued him now. “They say it’s not a story for children’s ears... Actually, my friends and I tried to go check out the house last summer. We were just curious, y’know? But we couldn’t even open the door or any of the windows, so we just left... Ah, it-it’s not like we chickened out or anything! The door must’ve been jammed or something.”

“Aa, I see,” Sasuke mused aloud, his gaze already turned to the north.

An abandoned hut? That would make for good shelter against the cold; better than sleeping in a dark forest full of predators. Even he was averse to sleeping by himself in the wild and always sought an inn or town to rest at. Knowing Sakura, she would have had no problem busting her way into that house if need be. The question was if the house was really as abandoned as the boy said it was.

Turning to head back for the inn, he decided the hut was definitely worthy of investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The above images are references for the flower jewelry Sasuke was looking at.
> 
> The daffodil pendant is a reference to the daffodil Sakura gives to Sasuke when he's hospitalized in Naruto episode 55 ( _A Feeling of Yearning, a Flower Full of Hope_ ). I originally wrote the flower pendant to be a cherry blossom, but I thought that would be too cliché, so I went with the daffodil to parallel the one Sakura got for Sasuke.
> 
> The writing process for this chapter was a bit messy, and I know there are quite a few flashbacks going on here, but it was either that I give you guys a very short chapter or a pretty long chapter... and I assumed you guys would prefer the latter. I also realized that I've been using a mix of both Japanese honorifics (like Kakashi-sensei) and also English nouns (like Lady Tsunade)... ehehe, my bad. I'm rewatching the whole series with the English dub, so I think that's where the mix up came from. I hope that hasn't been interfering with your reading experience.


	4. A Trail of Silk Petals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I missed an update last week! The writing process for this fic requires a lot more researching than I'd expected...

The sun was still hidden behind a thick cloak of clouds by the time the men had moved out. Checking for the pinpoint of light in the sky, Sasuke held back a ‘tsk’ when he realized the sun was already at its highest point, meaning that it was already high noon. Only a few hours remained before they would get caught in the darkness of the evening. Normally, continuing the mission in the middle of the night would’ve been no problem—in fact, all the more cover from the enemy. However, in situations like these in which the weather blotted out the moon and the stars, traveling when it was nearly pitch black was more of a death wish.

“Yup, that’s definitely the smell of Minty Rain Forest Mist shampoo. It’s very faint, so you were right to leave as soon as possible, Boss. Any longer and there’d be nothing left,” Pakkun’s gruff voice carried over from the point position he’d been given.

The ninken had been leading them since they’d departed Hanabana Village through the back gate. Back at the inn, the only other intel the group had gathered was the fact that Sakura had lingered long enough to provide basic aid to any she saw in need. Those who suffered from ailments had been prescribed simple recipes for them to follow. Those with minor wounds like cuts or scrapes were treated with ointment and bandages. Others had their strained backs or sprained ankles healed with her medical ninjutsu. Some children had even been found with lollipops, and Sasuke vaguely wondered if she kept candy somewhere in that medical pouch of hers for the young patients.

“Finally,” Kakashi huffed, “some good news.”

It wasn’t much, but at least it was something.

“We’re lucky enough to have picked up her scent before the fresh snow covers it completely,” Sasuke said, following the small dog and his master with Naruto and Sai at his sides.

“Even luckier that she still uses the same shampoo as me,” Pakkun replied, his expression as blank and bored-looking as ever. “As I thought, Minty Rain Forest Mist is the best.”

_A thick curtain of pastel pink hair tickled Sasuke’s face as he wrapped an arm around his teammate’s waist, tugging her out of the path of several fuma shurikens tagged with paper bombs._

_The heat of the explosions licked at his face, followed by a cloud of embers and smoke. But the unexpected scent of brisk water somehow sweetened by something floral flooded Sasuke’s nostrils instead of the hot fumes as a rosy crown of hair pressed against his nose._

_Sakura gasped when the grip on her waist tightened onto a bruise hidden by her red qipao dress. Still, he didn’t dare let go of her as they flew across the battlefield, his free hand deflecting the kunais chasing their fall. Branches snapped at his back and he winced, ignoring the pink locks caught between his lips now._

_“Sasuke-kun!” she squeaked in his arms._

_Bracing for the impact of hard dirt and pebbles, he sucked in a breath and the scent of her shampoo filled his lungs before it was knocked out of him with a crash to the ground._

Minty Rain Forest Mist, huh? Cheh, the name was pretty misleading for a scent that was more of a refreshing, light sweetness rather than a tingling chilliness.

“What’s more is that there’s a good chance Sakura took shelter in that hut the boy mentioned," Kakashi said, keeping his attention on the ground to stay focused on Sakura's scent. "So if the snow covers the rest of her trail later on, we still have an idea of where to continue our search."

“It is concerning that none of the Inuzuka clan members were able to catch any hint of her though, especially considering they searched as far into the Land as Kazahana Castle. Perhaps Kiba and Akamaru are already getting on in age?” asked Sai.

“Kiba’s not that old! And Akamaru’s only… Ah, wait,” Naruto paused, scrunching his face in thought, “how many human years is dog years?”

“Well, even I can barely pick up her scent and I think that’s only because I know exactly what Minty Rain Forest Mist smells like. It’s no wonder the Inuzukas had trouble. Passing through Hanabana Village, the fragrance of the flowers must’ve stuck to them and threw their sense of smell off,” Kakashi said from beside Pakkun.

“But even if the Inuzuka’s ninken were unable to identify Sakura’s shampoo and follow from there, they should have still found her had she been in the vicinity,” explained Sasuke. The ninken should have ran into her had she at least been anywhere near the villages. “If she’s not at the hut, then…”

Then they may be back to square one again, and the thought of that made him scowl.

“But… if she’s not at the hut, then where else could she be?” asked Naruto.

Nobody answered that question. Nobody had an answer anyway, let alone a theory, and if there wasn’t any good news then that could only mean bad news. Sasuke could feel the mood souring with despair the longer the silence went on.

“We’ll find her,” he spoke quietly. “She’s alive, so we’ll find her no matter what.”

The mood seemed to lighten immediately like a dark cloud parting above them.

“Now you’re starting to sound more like Naruto, Sasuke,” Kakashi noted, peering at the Uchiha from over his shoulder.

His initial reaction was to grimace at the comparison since the two friends were like night and day in many ways, and yet… Sasuke’s lips tilted up.

“It’s said that close friends tend to adopt each other’s habits, dattebayo,” Sai smiled.

“No way, teme!”

From the front, Kakashi sighed, but Sasuke could tell the former team leader was feeling the complete opposite of bothered.

“Her scent is still faint, but it’s getting stronger,” Pakkun said.

That meant they were getting close to her most recent—or hopefully _current_ —location. As if they were all thinking the same thing, they all began to quicken their pace. _This is good news_ , Sasuke thought. At the same time, something nagged at the back of his mind: isn’t this a bit easy? Suddenly finding her near the first village... Why did the Inuzukas miss her then? Unless it was too good to be true.

As if in answer to his suspicions, a small house came into view in the distance. As they neared it, Sasuke found himself a bit doubtful of the boy’s claims that the house was as bad as everyone made it out to be. Sure, it was clearly derelict and the bits of peach paint clinging desperately to the rotting wood was telling enough. The closed shutters of the windows seemed to deter any unwelcome visitors too. Not to mention the roof looked ready to collapse any minute now.

But instead of thinking it was a bad place of ill fortune, Sasuke couldn’t help but think that it was just pitiful. A house like this had to have been full of life once, right? As the porch squeaked under his weight, he thought of what kind of people had lived in here. What kind of person would paint their house a gentle pinkish-yellow? Line their window sills with potted plants? Or surround their home in a white picket fence?

As he studied the surroundings, all he could see was a home now a ramshackle husk of itself because of time and loneliness rather than misfortune. In fact, it reminded him of the current state of his own apartment: a room of disarray and dust simply because he'd abandoned it in favor of a personal journey.

He'd left home behind so it was only natural that it'd fallen into a state of disrepair over time. Although, did it matter when he was constantly wandering the world in search of… redemption? Was that it? Was that why he never returned to that empty apartment? Or was it simply that he never had a real home to come back to?

Sasuke glanced back at the others who were still taking it all in. “This must be the hut that boy mentioned.”

“Should we check it out now?” Sai asked. “Or just go—”

“Sakura-chan! We’re here! Hellooooo!” Naruto yelled into cupped hands. He barely gave it a second before slipping past Sasuke to try the door. There was a long moment of tugging, accompanied by grumbling that soon devolved into cursing as the young man struggled with the handle.

Heaving a sigh, Sasuke nudged aside his friend. When he grabbed the doorknob, the shock of ice-cold metal seemed to burn him even through his gloves and Sasuke almost jerked his hand back instinctively. Quickly, he turned the knob and the door swung open with an ominous ‘ ** _creeeaaak_ **’.

“Hmph!” Naruto crossed his arms. “That door must’ve been jammed! I just loosened it for you!”

_“Actually, my friends and I tried to go check out the house last summer. We were just curious, y’know? But we couldn’t even open the door or any of the windows, so we just left... Ah, it-it’s not like we chickened out or anything! The door must’ve been jammed or something.”_

“Hnn…” He squinted into the dark, the room dimly lit from what little light poured through the open doorway.

Nothing.

He should have expected it. Shouldn't have raised his hopes too high in the first place. Now he was just… disappointed? No, it was more than that. A strange anger possessed him like a demon—the kind of anger he hadn't felt in some years.

“Well, Sasuke? What do you see?” Kakashi asked from the foot of the porch steps.

His jaw had feathered with tension and Sasuke forcibly relaxed it before shaking his head. “It looks abandoned just like the boy said. There’s nothing here.”

There’s nobody here.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the doorknob, letting the tarnished cold metal bite through his gloves and sting his skin.

He let go as Sai stepped over with Kakashi following after him and Sasuke made space for his former replacement to take a peek. Angling his head into the dark mouth of the house, Sai said, “Hm, it’s almost pitch-black in here. I can’t imagine anyone would stay in this house for too long even with a flashlight. Especially by their lonesome.”

Sasuke almost retorted with a memory of his time with Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin had favored hideouts that were often found in unforgiving terrain and, most of the time, these hideouts were carved into a system of long and winding tunnels with the intention of confusing or slowing down any intruders. And it had worked.

The tunnels also offered an abundance of space to conduct experiments and house said experiments, including the last Uchiha himself. However, electric light was a luxury they couldn’t easily afford due to constantly moving locations every week. Instead, Orochimaru had taught him to rely on candles and torches and to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

So for someone like Sasuke, he didn’t mind the dark… just as long as the dark didn’t mind him.

“Hey, you know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures!” Naruto chimed in. “I doubt Sakura-chan had much of a choice. At the Land of Wind, the number one rule there is to stop wherever you are and find the closest shelter when there’s a sandstorm. If she was caught in the blizzard, better to stop here rather than continue walking around only to get lost.”

But someone like Sakura didn't belong in a place as dark and depressing as this one. The cracked, empty flowerpots contradicted those jade orbs full of life and love. The soulless eyes of the house with its shutters sealed tight like a picture of eternal sleep contrasted the kunoichi's semblance of spring, and he could not imagine her rosy pink hair erased by the black darkness within.

For Sasuke, the image of Sakura in a house like this was just plain wrong. It was like seeing a flower in the shade rather than beneath the sun.

“Well, there’s no use poking around in the dark,” Kakashi said, coming up from behind. He turned to Sasuke. “Wanna do the honors?”

In answer, Sasuke raised his hand and ignited it with a controlled Chidori. Thin streams of lightning crackled across the limb followed by the sharp sound of birds chirping. Staring into the darkness, he walked right in and it felt as if he’d stepped into another dimension. Carefully, the others followed his lead.

His lightning threw their shadows around the bare walls, casting fragments of light and dark. If he watched from the corner of his eye, it almost looked like shadow people were dancing around them.

He quickly scanned the room again with Kakashi but there was nothing of immediate interest.

The shadow people disappeared when the lightning faded from his hand and then he turned to Sai who was the last person to step inside. “Leave the door all the way open so that the light can come in.”

“This is it,” Pakkun slipped between their legs to stop at the center of the room, right between the fireplace and the chair that lay on its side. The dog pressed his snout to the floor, his nose twitching with every sniff. “Yup, this is where her scent is strongest, but it ends here.”

Sasuke stopped by the chair, noting that the legs were smooth and connected. It was a rocking chair. His gaze moved to the window that oversaw the porch had the blinds not been closed. He could imagine the last owner had sat here and watched the wide world through such a small view. Pitiful indeed.

Bending over, he grabbed the rocking chair to set it upright. Dust sifted from the movement, a curtain of the dirt pouring onto the floor. “So we can confirm that she did take shelter in here at some point when the snowstorm hit.”

“There is no blood either,” Sai spoke from the other side of the room. “So she was not injured at the time of her arrival or her departure.”

Some of the tension in Sasuke’s shoulders lifted.

“No, there is blood but it’s a very old stain,” their squad leader said from the farthest corner. When Sasuke came over, he found the older man rubbing his chin at the sight of a black spot on the floor. It appeared as if the floorboards had been soaked by it, or that the blood had seeped deeply into the wood. “Decades-old it looks like, so definitely not Sakura’s... Sasuke, that kid said something bad happened here a long time ago?”

“Aa, but he couldn’t explain it. It’s not something the natives like to discuss, it seems.”

“So what the boy was saying is that this is something like a... haunted house?”

“Eh?” From his spot by the fireplace’s mantel, Naruto had stiffened. He turned towards them with shoulders raised in discomfort. “Ehhhh! H-H-H-H-Haunted?!”

A white hand lunged forth from the dark background to grab Naruto’s shoulder, followed by Sai’s pale face popping into view. “Yes, haunted,” he whispered into the blond’s ear.

“GYAAAAH!” Swatting Sai’s hand away, Naruto zipped over to Kakashi, nearly tripping over Pakkun in the process. “S-S-Sensei, Sakura-chan’s definitely not here, so can we go now?”

Their current Hokage heaved a sigh before glancing up with a look of exasperation. He stared at one of the broken beams above them as if contemplating why he bothered coming along.

“We shouldn’t waste time here for too long,” Sasuke echoed his friend’s sentiments, watching Kakashi continue to stare upwards. The older man remained silent, turning his stare back down to the floor but moving away from the bloodstain. “We only have a few hours left of light and Sakura’s not here.”

“Yeah, we don’t need a Dōjutsu to see that,” snorted Naruto. “There’s _nothing_ here! Except if you wanna count that chair but I betcha can’t even sit on it without breaking it!”

"I wonder how long this place has been abandoned. It doesn't seem as if anybody has lived here for a very, very long time,” Sai said, swiping a finger across the mantel and studying the thick layer of dust now coating his skin.

“You seem to have spoken too soon, Naruto. There _is_ something here.” Kakashi crouched down across the threshold to pick up something from the floor. As Sasuke approached, Kakashi offered him what he’d found. “What do you think?”

Sasuke removed his glove to rub the slip of silky pink between his thumb and forefinger. His heart started beating faster. “It’s hers,” he murmured.

“Is… Is that hair?!”

“Yes, Sakura’s to be exact. Nobody else has hair the color of cherry blossoms, so it’s safe to assume it belongs to our dear doctor,” Kakashi answered, standing up and slowly turning to scan the room in its entirety. Sasuke was still fixated on the pink strand of hair in his hand when Kakashi stopped by the wall closest to the threshold. “There’s a small dent here… It seems to have been made by a kunai.”

The three younger men quickly crowded behind their leader to see what he was talking about. True enough, there was a sharp nick in the wall—one any Leaf shinobi could recognize from countless hours of kunai practice in the woods. When pulling a kunai out of a branch or tree trunk, it made a similar marking as the one they saw now.

Sasuke observed the scratch mark, wondering how he could have missed that. He’d been so focused on looking for a hint of anything pink that he’d completely overlooked any other possible clue. Mentally chiding himself, he remembered this was why emotions only got in the way of the mission. If only he could follow his own damn advice.

Naruto scratched his head. “Maybe a shinobi tried to attack Sakura-chan but their kunai only grazed her? And… that’s how her hair fell out?”

“No,” Sasuke raised the single strand of hair level to his face, eyes narrowing onto the end of the strand. “Her hair strand was removed from the root; it wasn’t cut.”

Or else the end would have a blunt edge.

“Don’t girls like to brush their hair before going to bed?” asked Sai, prompting an exasperated look from the others. “What? We’re all men here, so it’s not like we would know otherwise.”

Sasuke shifted at that, remembering the many nights he’d watch Sakura comb out the knots in her hair formed from running around, chasing after enemy shinobi and being chased by them all day for the weeks they were out on a mission.

_“Ouch!”_

_From his bedroll, Sasuke opened an eye to check on the girl sitting beside him. She had her face turned to the fire, the light of it washing her white cheeks in red and gold and exposing the way she winced as the teeth of her comb struggled against a particularly nasty knot._

_He closed his eyes, keeping his arms crossed beneath his head while he listened to Sakura hiss from the pain of the individual hairs tugging on her scalp. In the background, Kakashi was trying to explain to the young Jinchūriki how sealing large weapons like fuma shurikens into scrolls was more practical than lugging it around on his small back._

_Suddenly, something tickled Sasuke’s nose and he picked up a trace of that scent from earlier: crisp water that seemed to have had flowers soaked in it. He opened his eyes, dark pupils expanding on the vibrant thread of hair that had somehow drifted over to settle across the bridge of his nose. He pinched the pink strand between his thumb and forefinger, raising it above his face. The warm fire highlighted the pink so it looked like a thread of rose gold._

_He dropped it, watching the single strand gently flutter down to sit on his blanket, the bright pink a shocking contrast to the black folds._

_There was a quiet groan and Sasuke’s eyes slid aside to Sakura. Her white fingers were picking at the broken hair strands the teeth of her comb had ripped out and he could see her lips forming a small pout. His gaze glided down the length of pink hair, glossy and shiny as ever. Sasuke raised a brow at the leaf clinging to the end of her hair, the girl none the wiser. It swayed with every shift of her head, stubbornly hanging onto the silky strands somehow._

_Silent, he reached over and picked the leaf from her hair with a quick hand._

_She didn’t notice, too focused on testing the pain level of the bruise at the front of her waist where she’d been kicked hard. A light poke prompted Sakura to inhale sharply. She would have to deal with that pain until they returned home to Konoha since the ointment carried in their first aid kit was only for cuts. Her face scrunched up as if she’d been thinking the same thing._

_Sasuke’s eyes lingered where the bruise mottled the white skin beneath her red shift_ — _where he’d gripped her too tightly in his hurry to pull her away from the enemy’s clones while their sensei dealt with the original._

_He rolled onto his other side, putting his back to the fire and his face to the cave wall. Raising a hand, Sasuke fixed his stare onto his palm and scowled._

_He hadn’t been strong enough to protect her. And if he wasn’t strong enough to protect her, then how could he ever be strong enough to kill his brother?_

_Sasuke closed his eyes, the thought echoing in his mind as if that damn man was whispering it straight into his ear to mock him of his failure. The whispering persisted even when sleep finally lulled the young Uchiha to a restless sleep. That night, he dreamt of blood-red eyes surrounding him in the dark, gazing into the pit of his soul and filling him with spite. And in that darkness, he could hear Sakura crying his name._

“Maybe she left the hair behind for us to find?” Naruto gasped suddenly, blue eyes widening with distress. “Maybe she’s been kidnapped after all?! It could be an enemy of the Leaf Village using her to—”

“If that were true,” Sasuke cut him off from rambling any further, “then Sakura would’ve already reached out to us. She only lets herself stay captured long enough to gather intel from the enemy. Once she’s finished, she would’ve attempted an escape by now or at least make contact with us. Also, if it was an enemy of the Leaf Village who captured her with the intention of blackmailing us, they would’ve already contacted us too. Otherwise, capturing her would be pointless.”

Naruto seemed to relax at that, but the stress line between his brows remained in place.

Kakashi peered at the former avenger with high appraisal. “Sasuke’s right. Besides, if Sakura did indeed encounter an enemy shinobi, don’t you think this place would be in ruins already? She wouldn’t have gone down without a fight.”

“With the poor state of this house, I’m surprised that it was able to withstand a snowstorm,” Sai mused aloud, gazing all around the empty room. Even the artist himself found there wasn't much to look at. “But I doubt it'd be able to withstand a firefight in here.”

“Pakkun,” Kakashi turned to the small dog sitting patiently in the center, "I can't smell anything else in here besides Sakura. What about you?” When the miniature pug shook his head, ears flopping side to side, Kakashi returned to rubbing his chin in contemplation.

But Sasuke now frowned.

There was no conclusive evidence of a fight or that there was ever any enemy shinobi involved. Not to mention that the Land of Spring hadn’t relied on shinobi for its economy ever since the Princess’s reign began. Even if there were enemy shinobi involved, the list of potential candidates was nearly non-existent since the creation of the Shinobi Alliance. It had to have been either a very small group of rogue ninja or perhaps the workings of just one person.

Either way, why hadn’t any contact been made yet?

At his side, Kakashi sighed in defeat. “We might be back to square one again since the scent ends here and the only clue we have so far is Sakura’s hair. But that’s not really much to go off on...”

“That’s _nothing_ to go off on,” Naruto muttered.

Sasuke could tell the young war hero was just as frustrated as he was. Time was already not on their side and so far they'd hardly made any progress.

“Maybe she went ahead to Yukigakure and the snow just covered the rest of her scent?” Sai proposed. “Since we're already a few days late, we might've missed our window of opportunity.”

“No, I don't think Sakura ever made it to Yukigakure at all,” Pakkun suddenly spoke up and the men turned to find the ninken sniffing by the clogged fireplace.

“How do you know?” Naruto asked as the dog started digging at the pile of snow.

“She was delivering medical supplies to the village, right?” Pakkun grunted as he dug away the last bit of snow before tugging at a cream-colored bag that had the Leaf symbol stitched onto either side. "Aren’t these the supplies?”

Kakashi moved to help pull the bag free from the mix of snow and ashes and, as he did so, something tumbled out of the fireplace and rolled to a stop at Sasuke’s boot. He glanced down at a hollowed stick of wood with several holes lining one side. A flute? With the way it was crudely carved, it couldn’t have been crafted by a professional artisan, but perhaps a novice. But there was a large crack running down the opposite side of the holes, leaving the instrument useless.

“Yes, these are the supplies Sakura was meant to deliver,” Kakashi’s voice had deepened with a solemnity that drew Sasuke’s attention away from the flute and to the bag the older man had opened.

Sai knelt down to pull out a syringe filled with a purple fluid that matched the one Shizune had been holding.

“But her scent ends here in this house,” Pakkun said. “I could only smell her tracks leading in.”

Naruto shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense! She had to have left this place if she’s not here anymore.”

“If she did leave, it wasn't to go on to Yukigakure. Not without the supplies,” said Sai.

“Hmm….” Still shaking his head, Naruto mumbled, “I don’t get this.”

Admittedly, neither did Sasuke.

Closing the bag, Kakashi stood up and faced the Anbu member. “Sai, this country doesn’t rely on messenger hawks like we do, so I need you to use one of your birds to deliver to Lady Tsunade an update on our current situation."

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

“Let Lady Tsunade know of our findings and that, instead of going on to Yukigakure, we’ll be heading straight to Kazahana Castle to speak with Lady Koyuki and her search team. Maybe they can tell us the story of this house.”

“You… You mean the h-haunting?” asked Naruto.

“Oh, but _especially_ the haunting,” Kakashi's eyes closed with delight while Naruto blanched and mumbled an excuse to join Sai outside.

Kakashi watched his future successor scurry out of the house before turning his attention to the vibrant thread of hair still clutched in Sasuke’s hand, his grey eyes no longer alight with amusement.

“You think something bad happened to Sakura?” Sasuke asked in a low voice. He tried to keep himself controlled; it wouldn’t do well to start panicking now or even later. But the tension in his shoulders didn't go away.

“The same bad thing that allegedly happened all those years ago?” A beat passed and then Kakashi shrugged. “Well, even if that’s true, I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s as the others say; Sakura may have the looks of a pretty flower, but she doesn't bend so easily. She’s a lot tougher than she appears.”

_“Oh no, Sakura!”_

_“What?!”_

_“Sakura! Sakura! Sakura! Your…” The young Uzumaki dashed over to where his teammates were sitting on the forest floor, evidently exhausted and beaten up. He skidded to a halt and crouched beside the pink-haired kunoichi. “Y-Y-Your hair!”_

_“Oh! This..?” Sitting across from her, Sasuke watched her fidget with the frazzled ends of the locks she’d once taken great care and pride in. “I just wanted to… change my look!” she smiled casually, but the pain in her eyes was clear._

_Half-expecting her to start tearing up at any moment, he stared at Sakura as she continued to fool Naruto with her excuse. And yet, it seemed all her tears had already been shed for him_ — _he who had nearly been consumed by hatred and vengeance and that damn curse mark. He could still remember the way those tears had streamed down her face as she met his venomous gaze with terrified eyes. Eyes terrified not of him_ — _but for him._

_Those same spring green eyes calmly looking back at Naruto now._

_Such a brave face for a girl who had stared death in the eye all by herself and had challenged it, kicking and biting with everything she had._

Sasuke eyed the pink strand draped across his fingers, his thumb sweeping down the silky thread. “Aa, she is…”

Watching the young man, Kakashi added, “But it’s only natural to worry about a comrade, right?”

“Hnn…”

Another beat, and then, “You, especially, since she’s not just your comrade.”

At that, Sasuke finally raised his gaze to scrutinize the older man. “What are you saying?”

“Don’t you know?” Sasuke could practically _hear_ rather than _see_ the smug grin behind that mask as Kakashi spoke. “After all, you and Sakura are like… hm, how should I put this..?”

“Like this,” Pakkun suddenly said, having squeezed himself in between the men’s legs to join in on their chat.

Both men glanced down to see what the ninken was talking about, but all Sasuke saw was… “A paw?” He couldn’t hide his incredulity.

The pug’s face remained impassive, but his ears twitched with frustration and he shook his paw at Sasuke vigorously. “Not my paw—my pinky! Look at my pinky!”

“Your pinky?” Still frowning, he raised his own pinky to compare it to the dog’s. What did a pinky have to do with Sakura and… _oh_. Dark eyes widened for a split second. Feeling heat flood his cheeks, Sasuke lowered his face into the high collar of his black shirt. Quickly, he muttered an excuse to tell Sai and Naruto that they were leaving now.

Rubbing the back of his neck, the Hokage watched his former student hurry out of the hut, his reddened ears clashing with the black of his hair. “Well, some things never change.”

“Now he’s got the same kind of heat Sakura always had in his presence when they were still Genin,” Pakkun noted, lifting a hind leg to scratch the back of an ear. “Heh, all of the kids seem to be in heat these days.”

“Young love—what can you do? All the more reason to find Sakura soon. Sasuke especially gets grumpy and impatient in situations like these.”

“Is that why you insisted on leading this mission?” The dog asked, still scratching his ear. “Your love drama books ain’t enough entertainment these days?”

Kakashi reeled back, flabbergasted by the notion. “What? No, no, the _Icha Icha_ novels are timeless pieces of art! And with Sasuke… It’s true I did come to keep an eye on him. He’s no longer on the path of vengeance and is now pursuing redemption, but… I can tell he’s still the same kid in some ways.”

“Waddya mean, Boss?”

"I mean if someone precious to him gets hurt, he’s not so soft as to let the culprit go with just a smack on the wrist. At his core, Sasuke is an avenger. If someone has hurt Sakura, I have no doubt that Sasuke will attempt to kill that person as payback… But, on the bright side, Sakura is possibly the only person who can stop him from doing just that.” As soon as Kakashi said that, his brows slowly knit together as another thought took over him. “Actually, that might be a double-edged sword...”

Pakkun grunted and sat back on his haunches, looking as bored as ever. “And all these years, I thought you picked Sakura to be on your team specifically for the sole purpose of watching the love drama play out. I mean, you did manage to get a front-row seat every time something happened between her and Sasuke. And you always watched them so intently the same way you read those books.”

“They’re my adorable little students,” Kakashi chuckled wryly. “Of course I keep a close eye on those two—and Naruto. Besides, picking Sakura to be on my team just so I can watch the drama unfold with her crush… why, that would’ve been an abuse of my authority! Although, I have to admit, it has been a bit entertaining seeing the love blossom between those two over the years despite all the drama… Exhausting, but still entertaining.”

“Hmm… well, even a lone wolf like that guy ends up finding his mate sooner or later. When the safety of his mate is threatened, he will fight tooth and nail to protect what's his,” Pakkun said. He glanced around the room for a moment before looking up at Kakashi. “Anyway, this place gives me the creeps so I’ll take my leave now. Seeya, Boss.”

“Right. Thanks, Pakkun,” Kakashi nodded, watching the ninken poof away.

He leaned over to pick up Sakura’s abandoned bag of medical supplies but paused when the hair at the back of his neck crept up. Stealing a peek over his shoulder, Kakashi stared through the dimness of the room, half-expecting to catch a glimpse of… well, he wasn’t sure what. Still, his senses directed him to the dark corner of the room where the bloodstain had been seen. He stared at that spot, the fine hairs on his neck still raised in warning, until Naruto shouting for him to hurry up finally called Kakashi away.

Stepping through the threshold, he closed the door firmly behind him with a sharp creak and the inside of the house was bathed completely in black once again. Had Kakashi or any of the other men not been so distracted by the pink hair they’d found, or had the room not been so dark, perhaps they would have noticed the few strands of ebony hair that littered the space around the rocking chair.

Outside, the men continued on to Kazahana Castle.

Within the dark confines of the house, the rocking chair creaked backward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naruto suggesting Sakura left a trail of hair behind for them is supposed to be a callback from when his mother got captured and Minato saved her by following the red hair she left behind. Pakkun's pinky/paw comment is a reference to Naruto episode 146 ( _Orochimaru's Shadow!_ ) when he assumes Iruka and Tsubaki are together.
> 
> I'm really happy you guys are enjoying the flashbacks! I originally wrote them on a mere whim just so I could raise the word count and stretch the chapter length for the sake of preserving the story pacing. However, thanks to your guys' comments, I realize I can use the flashbacks effectively as a plot device - so thanks for your feedback!
> 
> Truthfully, the reason why the story pacing has been kinda slow (at least for me) is because these first few chapters are more so of a prologue to set up the main meat of this story. So I've been using these past chapters to lay hints and foreshadowing that you guys probably won't remember by the time it matters (mwuahaha). That's why there's just been a lot of dialogue and walking for now ^^"
> 
> Also, the tags have been updated :) Thank you for reading and hope you have a happy New Year!!!


	5. A Talk Among Teammates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has over 10,000 words of utter word vomit, so grab a drink and prepare to take a shot every time you catch an innuendo lol ;)

Flecks of snow kicked up in their wake as the men sprinted across the white terrain, spurred on by the waning light from the sky. A layer of chakra burned bright and blue at the soles of their sandals, giving Kakashi’s team an unnatural burst of speed fast enough that they left only an inch-deep impression in the snow.

The tall bleached spire of Kazahana Castle loomed in the distance, marking as a waypoint for anyone without a map or unfamiliar with the land. Even without activating his Sharingan, Sasuke could already begin to make out the lavender banners outlining the perimeter of the castle walls; the symbol of the true heiress of the throne.

Koyuki Kazahana—or Yukie Fujikaze, as he was more familiar with—had been ruling as the country’s daimyō since Team Kakashi had helped in overthrowing her uncle about seventeen years ago. The last time Sasuke had seen the princess had been during the celebratory feast of her inauguration and he vaguely remembered how her anti-social, grumpy attitude had done a one-eighty once spring had returned to her land. She’d become a young woman eager to undo all the corruption her uncle had washed her home country in, and had also been as eager to express her gratitude to the Leaf shinobi for their part in making her see the truth when she’d lost all hope.

What had begun as a simple escort mission for a big movie star had evolved into a mission to usurp a corrupt ruler, and the princess had mentioned at the end of it all that she would be forever in their debt.

Seven years later, and Sasuke hoped that she was still willing to hold to that promise now that they were in dire need of her assistance.

The hut had been a bust and, though he was loathed to admit it, his disappointment had quickly spiked into frustration when there was clearly no pink-haired kunoichi to be found. They were back to square one again and Sasuke was not used to moving without any leads. No, he was used to his enemies cowering at the sight of his mismatched eyes and spitting out the truth before he’d barely asked a question. He was used to doing reconnaissance in the seedier parts of town, observing shady individuals and sometimes even following them to see what sort of trafficked goods were involved—humans, weapons, drugs, etc. He was used to collecting answers, bit by bit, like puzzle pieces creating the whole picture.

He was _not_ used to chasing people who seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving only so much as a hair strand behind.

As if sensing his student brooding behind him, Kakashi glanced over his shoulder while maintaining his pace ahead of the younger men. “Are you guys okay back there or should we take a break?”

“We’re fine,” Sai replied, his smile as calm as ever.

Naruto snickered. “But if you ever need to rest your aching joints, just let us know, Kakashi-sensei!”

Their leader shot the boy an unamused look but said nothing to avoid fueling any more jokes about his age.

“We should hurry,” Sasuke reminded them, although he knew they were already hurrying as it was. “I estimate we have about four hours before sunset.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Kakashi then raised a hand to indicate a steep slope ahead. He made a short leap at the peak of the incline, his chakra-laced sandals skidding down the hill like he was surfing. The others followed suit, mindful of the large cream-colored bag their sensei had slung over his shoulder. “Let’s go over what we currently know about the hut based on what we’ve gathered from our visit. So far, what we know is that Sakura did indeed take shelter in the hut at some point during the blizzard.”

“And it’s safe to assume that she was not injured when she arrived or when she left. The kunai mark on the wall might be a sign of a fight, but there isn’t enough evidence to prove that,” Sai said. “And if there wasn’t a fight, that still doesn’t explain why she would abandon her mission to deliver the supplies like that.”

Eyeing the white medical bag gently thumping against Kakashi’s back, Sasuke said, “It’s strange that the supplies were left in the snow. They weren't just left in the open. Someone purposely moved them for temporary storage,” he explained upon feeling several quizzical glances on him. “Someone who has enough medical knowledge to understand that the vaccines and medicine needed special storage conditions, and so they improvised with the snow."

“Sakura-chan?”

“Or her assailant,” offered Sai. “My theory is that, assuming she was attacked, whoever attacked her tried to hide the evidence. After all, we saw a dent in the wood that was likely made by a kunai, but we found no kunai at the scene. Hiding the supplies in the snow is a bit clumsy, but we almost missed it ourselves because we were so occupied with a piece of hair."

Kakashi made a low and bemused hum. "So, it seems two parties are likely involved here: Sakura, and the mystery assailant. But that leaves us with two questions: who did what, and why?"

“Kakashi-sensei, isn’t that three questions?” Naruto asked, his face already scrunching in confusion.

"It was either Sakura or her attacker who threw the kunai, and then they missed since there was no fresh blood left behind,” Sasuke said, his thoughts racing as fast as his feet were. “If her attacker threw the kunai, that would at least imply they have some sort of background as a shinobi and we can do some investigation from there. Since this land doesn’t rely on a shinobi system, it wouldn’t be difficult to ask the natives if they’d seen any other foreigners around."

Adjusting the strap of the bag of medical supplies, Kakashi went on to poke a hole in that theory. “Yes, but the problem is that there are no conclusive signs of a fight or else the house should've been demolished."

"Have you... considered the possibility that she's not even in the Land of Spring anymore?" asked Sasuke. He didn’t like that idea, but he also had to be rational about it.

"It's possible, but I've already informed the neighboring nations to keep an eye on their borders," Kakashi answered him. "I've also sent some tracking-nin just in case. Another reason why I believe Sakura is still here is that you need a ship to get to and from this land and I already had the workers at the port questioned; their logs show only merchants and imported goods for the past three days."

"Then if she might still be here, why don't I just comb the land with Shadow Clones? It'd be a lot faster to look for Sakura-chan that way!"

Naruto's hands were already fidgeting at his front, slipping through the opening of his travel cloak to make the tiger seal.

He stopped when Kakashi shook his head from the front. "The Inuzukas and their ninken already did that and they didn't find a single clue or even a belonging from Sakura. Plus, Koyuki's men also did a sweep of the land prior to Kiba's arrival."

"Then why choose us to find her?" Sasuke asked, curious of his former teacher's intentions.

Sure, he'd done his own fair share of hunting down targets, as it had all started with his ignorant desire to find Itachi and kill him. However, his way of tracking lacked the finesse of trackers like the Hyuugas, Yamanakas, Aburame, and Inuzukas. He was more used to tracking his targets the good old fashioned way: interrogating any and all associated. But, admittedly, his method was too crude and ineffective in a situation like this. So how could he be of use?

"It's true," Kakashi responded. "You guys don't specialize in tracking the way Hinata, Shino, Ino, and Kiba do. But we each have our own advantage over that. And that is that nobody knows Sakura better than her own teammates. Right, Sasuke?"

He didn’t answer. Although it was a simple ‘yes or no’ question, the feelings stirring inside him were shades of grey rather than black and white. Ever since they were children, she used to smile at him, all the damn time… and sometimes, he wondered what about him made her so happy. Made her blush and yearn for his acknowledgment. And then, after that night of their parting, those smiles had been tainted by saltwatery cheeks pale with fear and pain because of him.

During his time in confinement after the war, she'd visited him almost every time she got the chance to. His eyes had been sealed, but he could still hear the brightness in her voice, as well as notes of sadness for him… as always. For it wouldn't be Sakura if she wasn't worrying about him.

What did it mean to know Sakura? Did it mean seeing her at her lowest, most vulnerable state? Feeling her hot tears splash onto his cold skin—those tears she often struggled to lock away with a smile?

It'd been too many years since he'd last seen that happy, innocent smile she always gave him as a little girl. A smile that had yet to be tainted by sorrow. He was more familiar with that girl, still so innocent in love, than with that woman whose eyes had reflected the full, heart-aching truth of that love that day at the gates. He sometimes wondered how those two were the same person as much as he wondered how that person could still love him after all this time.

But there was a question that weighed most in his heart—a question that had grown heavier and heavier ever since she'd professed his love for him that night of their parting…

_What did she ever see in me?_

Naruto flicked his eyes to Kakashi’s back. “Hey, Sensei, do you remember how Sakura-chan got captured last time? You know, that incident with the tailed beasts drug?”

The question cut through Sasuke's thoughts and he immediately scowled upon remembering Kido's letter of blackmail that Kakashi had forwarded to him. A letter that had described in explicit detail what would happen to Sakura if Sasuke didn't give himself up. If only he’d arrived sooner to tell Kido exactly what _he_ planned to do to _him_.

“According to her report, a genjutsu was used to distract Sakura long enough for Kido’s men to drug her just after she dispelled it. Why? You think she was caught in the same kind of trap?”

“Hm, I’m not sure. Last time, Sakura-chan was captured to be used as blackmail against Sasuke, but this time… Well, it’s like Sasuke said: her captors would’ve already reached out to us, right? So, what if this time… Sakura-chan is really their target?”

“Target for what purpose?”

“I mean...” Naruto scratched his cheek, discomforted by what he was about to say. “What if it really is one of her, uh, secret admirers from the Shinobi Alliance?”

Sasuke’s pace slowed down enough for him to fall behind Sai as he thought about the pile of love letters she must have kept in her tent for the duration of the war.

Kakashi was silent for a long moment and nothing could be heard except the sound of snow crunching under quick feet. Finally, he replied in a low murmur, “Then that would certainly complicate things…”

It would… because fighting an enemy shinobi was one thing, but politics was a completely different battleground—one that they all had to tread lightly upon in light of the alliance shared between the shinobi nations.

Rogue ninjas lacked the support of their Hidden Villages and thus made them a free-for-all target among the community of ninjas as well as bounty hunters. But if the person behind Sakura’s capture was a member of the Alliance itself, the men would not only have to find their missing teammate but also find enough substantial evidence to prove the crimes of her captor. Otherwise, throwing accusations around without proof would only destroy all of the hard work built towards strengthening the peaceful relations between the Land of Fire and other shinobi nations such as the Land of Water.

After mulling it over, Sasuke quietly clicked his tongue. He hated politics.

"But if there really was a second party involved, then wouldn't you or Pakkun have noticed it?” asked Sai. “Even if you don't recognize the assailant’s smell, you would still notice a second scent."

“That’s also what confuses me,” Kakashi answered slowly. “I only smelled Sakura in there so, despite our evidence contradicting each other, I’m inclined to believe that Sasuke is right; there might not be an enemy shinobi involved at all.”

Maybe not an enemy shinobi, but Sasuke couldn't get out of his head the image of men from the Alliance lined up at Sakura's tent.

"What about the strand of hair? I still think Sakura-chan might've plucked it out to leave behind for us to find."

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she did that,” Sai said. “The Leaf village is known for its assortment of capable tracking-nin. Although, none of us expected that her scent would end at the hut…”

Naruto instantly perked up, the blue of his eyes glimmering with excitement. “Then maybe she really did leave a trail for us! Even if there’s no scent, someone with a dōjutsu might be able to see something in the snow.”

Yes, Sasuke had entertained the same idea back at the hut, but… Feeling Naruto’s expectant stare on him, he sighed and shook his head. “Even if she did leave a hair trail, the snow would easily cover something as small as a strand of hair. And it's been two days since she's gone missing."

The excited light in Naruto’s eyes died out instantly and the young man glared at Sasuke as if he were silently calling him a stick in the mud.

He himself was frustrated by the fact that his own visual prowess was useless in a situation like this. It just went to show that powerful jutsus weren’t always everything, and in mysterious situations like these, even Sasuke Uchiha was left stumped. Briefly, he wondered what sort of theories would have been cooking up in that keen mind of Sakura's had their roles been switched. After all, it was her who had figured out that the imposter faking Sasuke’s identity during the tailed beasts incident had been using stolen samples of his own DNA to replicate the Uchiha’s chakra signature. Nobody else had come to that conclusion but Sakura.

It was borderline pathetic how a team of the most skilled Leaf shinobi couldn’t even come up with a proper theory to explain the disappearance of a world-famous medical-nin.

“Then,” Naruto’s glare had melted into a look of serious determination as he returned his attention to the castle ahead, “we should hurry to see Lady Koyuki so she can shed some more light on the situation. Hm, speaking of, I wonder how she’s doing…”

“Yes, it has been a while,” Kakashi said.

“But back then, we knew her as Yukie Fujikaze. She was a huge movie star, but the last film she did as Princess Gale was a few years ago, I think.” Smiling slightly, Naruto peeped at his left. “Remember, Sasuke?”

“I haven’t had time to watch any films.”

 _I’ve been too busy atoning for my sins_ , he thought absentmindedly. The more innocent days of his childhood were long behind him that he now found it awkward to do something as mundane as watching a film for pleasure. On his own, he didn’t have anyone to watch films with anyway. When he’d been with Team Seven, at least he’d been dragged along with Naruto and Sakura’s antics, so he’d had no choice on the matter.

Being part of the team meant being part of the crazy nonsense.

 _But_ —Sasuke’s lips quirked up—those days were fun…

“Man, don’t you ever do anything fun these days?” Naruto echoed similar thoughts aloud, rolling his eyes before a sly smile overtook his face. “Then once we find Sakura-chan, the first thing you should do is take her to the movies!”

Kakashi stole a look at them over his shoulder, his dark eye creasing with enthusiasm. “They’re reshowing the _Icha Icha_ series, y’know, starting with _Paradise_.”

Knowing exactly where this was leading, Sasuke’s face twisted into that of thinly veiled disgust. Naruto seemed to share the same sentiment, exclaiming, “Kakashi-sensei, that’s not something you watch on a first date!”

“What do you mean? That’s the perfect film to watch! There’s romance, drama, conflict, even action—what’s not to like?”

“How about that it’s really perverted?!”

“Lord Hokage, it’s difficult for virgins like Naruto to fully appreciate the art of passion and romance,” Sai calmly said, but the comment only seemed to strike a nerve in the Rokudaime himself.

“Oh, that’s funny coming from you!” Naruto scowled, but turned his reddened face away from Sai. “What makes you think I’m still a virgin anyway?! Besides, don't tell me you're a closet pervert like Sensei too!"

Kakashi’s posture slouched slightly further despite him still sprinting.

"If you're referring to my knowledge of the _Icha Icha_ series, I've already read the books,” the Anbu member replied casually.

“E-Eh?!” Naruto stumbled and almost ate the snow had Sasuke not yanked him up by the collar of his cloak.

Kakashi glanced back to cast Sai a look of newfound respect and appreciation. “Ah, another man of culture!”

But now Naruto was alternating his stare between the two men, his upper lip curled in distaste. “What the hell would you need to read those books for?!”

“For research, of course.”

Sasuke’s brows furrowed together. _What kind of conversation is this..?_

“How is porn research?!”

"To help me understand relationships,” Sai said as if nothing was further from the truth. The open honesty in his expression made Naruto’s disgust falter. “ _Romantic_ relationships, that is…."

“What? Is there someone you’re… romantically pursuing right now?” asked Naruto, gawking at his companion.

The Anbu member didn’t answer verbally, but the sudden way he threw his eyes down to avoid Naruto’s scrutiny was all the answer they needed.

"Sai, if you would ever like to compare notes, I'm right here for you,” Kakashi stated.

“Sensei, don’t encourage him!”

"Of course, Sensei can always spare some words of wisdom for you too, Naruto; in case you run into trouble with Hinata.” Kakashi’s grey gaze then flicked over to Sasuke and the Uchiha hoped for a second that the old man would trip over. “And the same goes for you too, Sasuke."

"I have no need for that sort of nonsense,” he responded coolly.

“I don’t understand what the fuss is about,” said Sai, his expression sharp with acuity but somehow naive at the same time. “Is porn truly something to be ashamed of? Sex and lust are said to be completely natural urges, especially among healthy, red-blooded males like ourselves. I mean, we are biologically programmed to reproduce and ensure our legacy continues. Nobody wants to be the only one left of their kind.”

_The only one left of their kind, huh..._

Sasuke wasn’t sure if that last comment was intended for him, but he made no sign that it affected him. He’d been the heir and last living member of the Uchiha clan for a few years already and although he’d sometimes miss finding another who could relate to the burden of his clan’s Curse of Hatred, he had no desire to just take _any_ woman to his bed and have a child with. He had no trouble attracting the attention of women no matter where he went, but the interest to reciprocate was never there.

Before, it was his lust for power and vengeance that overpowered any and all other lust for things. Now that he was free to live a proper life and do mundane things like dating, sex, and marriage… it was hard to imagine that with a random woman. He was too used to a certain girl loving him—and professing that love through tears—despite all he’d done to her that… well, it was almost uncomfortable to think of replacing that girl with a random woman. That same feeling was the equivalent of if his mother had been replaced by another. Once a bond had been established, it was difficult to change it, and even more so to break it.

“Well,” scratching his cheek, Kakashi added, “lust isn’t so difficult to handle, but it does get difficult when feelings are factored in. You’re right, Sai; sex is a biological necessity for us. However, love changes the game and, most often, women don’t want to have children for the sake of having children and expanding the clan, but rather out of love. It doesn’t matter how rich, or cool, or powerful you are—a woman can have sex with you but, if there isn’t any love, she might not want a child with you at all. Just some food for thought in your, uh, pursuits…”

“So, if love exists between two people, a child is born from it? As… proof?”

“Usually that’s the case, yeah. You could say that child is the fruit of their love.”

“Wow, Kakashi-sensei, how do you know all this? Haven’t you always been single?”

“You should give the _Icha Icha_ novels a shot, Naruto.”

“That’s right,” Sai nodded. “I remember in _Icha Icha Innocence_ , the protagonist sought a more meaningful relationship with his love interest that went beyond sex and dating. He had discovered that the feelings he had for Ai… to him, Ai wasn’t just his girlfriend, but a woman whom he wanted to have bear his children… become and share a family with for the rest of his life.”

Naruto gave the Anbu a shrewd look. “How very romantic of you, Sai. Why don’t you try that kind of line on that girl you’re interested in? You could say: ‘hey, lady, are you interested in having children with me?’

“And did that work for you, Naruto?” Sasuke asked, smirking when the newly wed’s face instantly went bright red. It was too easy to push his buttons, making it all the more tempting to do so.

With Naruto still sputtering for a response, it was Kakashi who retorted back, saying. “I don’t think Naruto has to worry about that anymore, Sasuke.”

“Y-Yeah, teme! You should be worrying about yourself! You said way back then that your goal is to restore your clan—isn’t that right, Sensei? Any idea how you plan to do that?”

“I’m surprised you still remember that,” Sasuke merely replied, though his smirk had faltered from the embarrassment of the fact that such a thing had been brought up during a discussion about sex of all things.

"Now, now, Sasuke, no need to be shy,” Kakashi chuckled, unperturbed by the glower darkening his student’s face. “We're all men here. This kind of 'nonsense' is in our nature."

"Nah, Sasuke's gotta be the odd one out on that, Sensei! I was never able to get a reaction out of him with my Sexy Jutsus no matter how sexier my transformations became. I'm telling you, that guy has no libido!"

"Maybe the girls you Transformed into just weren't his type?" Sai suggested. "Some men tend to develop a type later on by skin color or hair color."

"Ridiculous," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"A type, huh?" Blue eyes squinted thoughtfully for a moment before widening. Everyone turned their attention to Naruto when he suddenly snapped his fingers, that mischievous grin back on his face. "I got it! Sexy Jutsu!"

With a 'poof!', the young war hero kept on running as he was engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke.

 _Heh_ —Sasuke's face remained impassive as the smoke started to clear— _still an idi_ —

"Oh, Sasuke- _kuuun_!" A familiar voice moaned out.

He was caught off guard for a split second at the sound, but then stumbled at the sight of a slim, porcelain leg followed by… Amethyst and obsidian orbs raked up the red bikini-clad body to land on jade orbs framed by cherry pink bangs.

The fake Sakura stuck her tongue out at him playfully, posing to push her breasts out as best she could, the mounds bouncing up and down with every step she took while still running. "Am I your type _now_ , Sasuke-kun?" She giggled but then stopped upon noticing the Uchiha's face. Those large jade eyes widened into saucers and she pointed a finger at him. "W-Wait, are you actually blu—"

**_POOF!_ **

The Transformation abruptly ended when the woman slammed against a tree, the smoke parting to reveal a dazed Naruto.

_Yup, still the same old idiot._

Kakashi and the others immediately skidded to a halt with the older man propping a hand against his hip. "Naruto, did you really try the same prank on him again?"

"N-No, wait…" Rubbing his bruised nose, Naruto skirted around the tree and pointed once more at Sasuke while still swaying on his feet. "Th-That guy… he had… there was… I saw—"

"That tree must've knocked your head harder than I thought." Closing his eyes, Sasuke shrugged, all nonchalant. "I wasn't even looking at you."

Kakashi and Sai checked Sasuke's face to confirm Naruto's claims, but the former Avenger's expression was as stoic as ever, betraying no sign that he'd been affected.

"No, I swear I saw—"

"You only think you saw something because you're mind was already in the gutter," Sasuke retorted, turning to follow Kakashi and Sai who had already lost interest. "We don't have time for you to hit every tree on the way, you know. So get your mind out of that gutter already and just focus on the task at hand."

"You just can't take a joke, can you?" Naruto sneered at him.

Sasuke ignored that knowing glint in the man's eyes. He was starting to understand why Sakura was quick to anger when it came to lecherous men and especially when it came to Naruto's ridiculous jutsus.

"Well, apparently, talking about sexual matters and our personal experiences in the matter is common between both men and women. Sex jokes and the like are a sign of trust and close bonds between friends." Sai smiled at the Uchiha, but the muscles of his cheeks became strained when he was met with a hostile look barely hidden by Sasuke's stoicism.

"Sai's got the right idea, Sasuke." Kakashi's voice lilted with amusement. "You don't want to be clueless when you embrace a woman for the first time, do you? Your good looks will only take you so far in the bedroom."

"Embrace a woman?" Naruto asked, befuddled by the flowery language.

“A euphemism for sexual intercourse, I believe," answered Sai. “Although I think it’s meant specifically for the romantic sense.”

Sasuke’s eye twitched.

"It's like a dance,” The older ninja began to explain to the young men. “Traditionally, a man should be the one to guide the woman along as he takes the lead. But, even though the man is in the dominant position, the woman is needed to support him as well. That way, the movements between the partners are fluid—but, of course, it’s helpful if the woman can also move flexibly for you."

Sasuke tucked his chin down, the lower half of his face disappearing behind the tall collar of his long-sleeve so that only his eyes remained visible.

"It's really all about trust and communication though. Sometimes, just the feel of her warm skin on yours is enough to tell you… enough to guide your hands to all the right places. Just pay close attention to the way she responds and moves for you and you'll be a pro in no time!” Still speaking, the Hokage returned his attention to the front, missing the way two of his students were staring after him as if he’d grown a second head. “Understand, Sasuke? That stoic face of yours won't be pulling any moans from—"

"How ironic for you, Kakashi,” Sasuke decided to say, his glare peeking over his collar, obsidian and amethyst dark with intensity. “You're the one advising us according to pornographic novels written by an old pervert who'd been rejected by every woman he'd ever met. At this rate, it seems you might follow in your idol's footsteps."

The Copy Ninja flinched from the insinuation, but it was Naruto who came to his defense. "Hang on! Kakashi-sensei might be a perverted old man, but at least he's a _closet_ pervert! Pervy Sage was a pervert upfront and I was always the one who got beat for it!"

The former Avenger merely sighed behind his collar.

Of all the time, why in the world were they talking about this now? Their dynamics hadn’t exactly changed per se, but it had certainly evolved through age and maturity. As the only woman on the team, Sasuke had no doubt Sakura would have taken to berating the men for their perverted discussion. As it was now, the more he wished she was here to do just that. How annoying that she wasn’t.

“Lord Hokage, do you have any more tips?” Sai asked, scribbling something in a pocketbook he'd whipped out at some point into their conversation.

“Well, since you boys are all grown up now, you’re old enough to check out the _Icha Icha_ series and even watch the films. Maybe I’ll take you all out to a showing once this mission is over—my treat.” Turning his face to the three young men behind him, Kakashi’s eyes closed with mirth as a smile began to spread behind his mask. “It’ll be a Team Seven celebration. And if Sasuke comes, Sakura will definitely—”

A sleet of snow suddenly exploded right in front of the Hokage as a white mass rose up from the snow it’d been half-buried in. Kakashi made a noise of alarm. With the velocity they were running at, he struggled to stop, the chakra at his feet pushing him head-on towards the bear towering before him. At the last minute, the older ninja chose to leap over the wild animal instead, but the bear was already alert, its senses fueled by rage.

Naruto had only begun to yell for their sensei as a large paw swiped at the man’s passing leg and Kakashi’s brows pinched together the moment the paw made contact. The veteran ninja landed on his feet, chakra blazing at his soles to keep him steady on the bank of snow. The bear swerved around towards its target, thick jowls peeling back to reveal a row of sharp teeth slickened with saliva that flew towards Kakashi as the creature roared.

Before Kakashi could even open his weapons pouch, Sasuke was already standing between him and the predator. Red and black spun wildly as he met the bear’s angered eyes with his own calm, but deadly gaze. Man and animal stared challengingly at each other for one tense second before the bear finally caved into defeat, falling over unconscious.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto dashed to the older man who was studying the thin strips of red lining his now bare calf. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, it’s just a scratch.” Dusting the snow off his silver head, he then tugged at the shredded material of his standard-issued pants. He was bleeding, but the wound wasn’t that deep to require immediate attention. “I can’t say I was expecting that though.”

Although Naruto looked at the injury with concern, a grin began to spread slowly across his face. “You were right to come along, Kakashi-sensei. Your reflexes have gotten slow from sitting at a desk all day.”

“No, this is what happens when your mind is stuck in the gutter for too long,” Sasuke felt the need to say.

“I think he’s just getting on in age,” Sai added and Naruto hummed in agreement while Sasuke gave the bear a sidelong look.

Tearing his eyes away from the shallow wound, Kakashi tipped his face to the sky and released a heavy sigh. “It feels like I command less respect now as Hokage than I did as a Jonin squad leader.”

“Ahaha, don’t be so sad, Sensei! We’re all getting older here!”

“It’s all right, Lord Hokage, I’ve heard wrinkles are a sign of a long and accomplished life.”

“I can’t tell if you two are joking or not…”

“It’s strange,” Sasuke muttered, drawing the others’ attention. They turned their quizzical looks from the Uchiha to the bear he was staring at. “It’s still winter; bears don’t normally leave their dens during hibernation. Even if they do, they wouldn’t travel this far out.”

So what was this one doing all the way out here? Why had it just been laying out in the open?

“Well, if it’s got nothing to do with Sakura-chan, then what does it matter?” Wrapping his arms around himself, Naruto jerked his head towards their destination. “It’s getting late and I’m getting cold, so let’s head inside the castle already!”

Sai turned to Kakashi. “Can you walk?”

“I’m not that old,” Their leader merely grumbled, returning to his point position to prove it. True enough, he walked just fine without any aid.

As Naruto and Sai hiked alongside their leader in the direction of the castle gates, Sasuke’s stare lingered on the bear a moment longer before he moved to follow after his team. The sun was hanging low behind the darkening clouds, and the brisk wind sweeping at his poncho was a telltale sign that a cold night would soon befall the land once more.

A sharp gust swept across the terrain, carrying a flurry of snow to bury the bear under once more. The creature remained unconscious from the genjutsu it’d been knocked out with but, even in its sleep, it grunted with pain. Unbeknownst to the team of men the bear had sought to take its anger out on, its hind leg was crippled with a layer of frozen blood clinging like crystals to the matted white fur.

Alas, their mission was too urgent to afford the men the time to have paused long enough and make any connection. Even if they did notice the bear’s crushed foot, it still wouldn’t have answered any of the questions that weighed in their minds.

Incapacitated, the animal was left to the mercy of Mother Nature who would surely be less cruel than the woman who’d attacked it earlier.

.

.

.

The first thing Sasuke noticed upon passing through the castle’s defense was the small number of troops that made up the garrison perched atop of the walls. They seemed too lax, chatting with each other as they faced the outside of the castle. Their lavender robes were thick for winter use, covered by dark plates of scaled armor, but the glaives propped at their sides looked more for ornamental use rather than for killing.

Despite their elite attire, they seemed at peace and Sasuke wondered if the past seven years under Koyuki’s ruling had that effect on them. Even the patrol units back at the Leaf village liked to pass their time with idle chatter and Sasuke remembered the drowsy expressions Kotetsu and Izumo had sported while on his way to the gates. Peace had made everyone happy and relaxed, but the last Uchiha didn’t need a dōjutsu to see that someday, in the far future, that peace would break.

It was only a matter of time.

Passing through the courtyard, their foreign attire drew the attention of the nobles idling by the gold-capped buildings and several of the ladies raised their white-laced sleeves to their red lips, giggling as Sasuke walked by. Their hushed voices carried through the open space as they studied the men. Ambling after the others, Sasuke's sharp hearing picked up some of those obnoxious voices.

"The one with the sword is really hot!" One of them said, her whispers too harsh for the quiet courtyard.

"Mmm, I love a dark, brooding man. Definitely my type!"

“I’ve never slept with a shinobi before. I bet with their endurance they can last _all_ ... _night_ ... _long_ …”

 _Tsk, how annoying…_ He was used to this attention, but he wasn't used to such promiscuous comments made in the open and especially in the presence of his own teammates.

"If he's dexterous with the sword, imagine how dexterous his sword hand is in bed!"

“Mmm, I wonder if _his_ sword’s as long and thick as the one he carries, if you know what I mean.”

Several giggles burst out in response.

"I wouldn't mind getting stabbed by a sword like that… _real deep_ so I can feel it all the way to the _hilt_."

Walking faster now, Sasuke accidentally bumped shoulders with Naruto. “Hey, I’m right here, ya know?!” His friend pulled a face at him, completely oblivious to the innuendos thrown left and right.

“And I would _love_ to sheath his sword,” he heard one of the women say in the background of Naruto’s complaint. "All the way _in_."

“Hurry it up, slowpoke,” Sasuke grunted at his blond companion whose jaw dropped in indignation.

Their wanton gazes oppressed Sasuke from all around, but rather than meet the women’s coy looks, he swept his gaze over to the soldiers standing guard by the castle’s entrance. They immediately went rigid when his eye landed on them individually, but that didn’t stop them from grabbing the handles of the large steel doors, parting them for the team of Leaf shinobi.

The doors groaned open to reveal a young woman whose hands were tucked under the lavender robes the garrison wore, but without the armor. She bowed before Kakashi’s team and gestured with her hand. “Lady Koyuki has been expecting you. Please, right this way.”

Sasuke’s shoulders sagged the moment the doors closed behind him, cutting off the stares that’d been burning onto his back.

“Wow, this place is more beautiful than I remember!” Naruto exclaimed, his head swiveling side to side to take everything in as they entered the foyer.

The white marble floors squeaked under their sandals and even Sasuke couldn’t help but marvel at the polished sculptures lining the hallway. Crystallized flowers of every kind sat in vases, balancing on narrow podiums. He’d almost expected that same floral fragrance from Hanabana Village, but the air remained fresh and clear like the outside.

Another throng of noblewomen coming from a corridor passed by the men and Sasuke ignored their appreciative looks burning into his back while Sai wobbled on his feet when one of the women blew him a kiss.

The aide guiding them finally paused at a great pair of oak doors that no doubt led into the throne room. “We are here,” she said, before pushing through the doors and nodding for them to go ahead.

“Naruto,” Kakashi began to say as they neared the throne guarded by two soldiers gripping their glaives. “Remember to address the princess by—”

Before he could finish, Naruto was already brushing past him to grin at the young woman sitting on the golden chair. “Hey, it’s Princess Gale!”

Kakashi sighed, but the woman ladened in robes meant only for royals merely slapped her thigh, leaning forward with a burst of laughter, her violet-blue eyes twinkling with mirth. Her long, dark hair was wrapped up in an intricate bun pinned by a gold brooch, but her bangs shook around her face as she finished laughing.

Sasuke raised a brow at her. It was a complete turn-around from the princess they’d initially met, and even more so from the princess he’d seen onscreen as a boy. Instead of lifeless eyes from their first meeting, she looked upon them with a wistful glint.

“Hey, kiddos.” Koyuki smiled kindly at them. “It’s been a while.”

“Lady Koyuki,” Kakashi bowed, prompting Sai and Sasuke to follow suit. “It’s good to see you again,” he said, moving a hand to Naruto’s head and pressing it down to force him into a bow with the others.

“And you as well, Kakashi. Or should I say Lord Hokage?” Her gentle smile split into a grin and she shook her head, gold earrings swaying with the motion. “Oh, enough with the formalities already! I can’t believe it’s been seven years! Your boys have really grown…”

“They’ve grown plenty, but I can’t say they’ve changed much.” Kakashi ruffled Naruto’s blond locks before finally lifting his hand to let the boy straighten himself.

Her earrings tinkled lightly as Koyuki turned her head towards Sasuke. “It seems you’ve only grown more handsome since I last saw you, Sasuke Uchiha. My, how you've changed."

He could say the same for her as well. The talented actress-turned-princess had aged with grace, gaining light wrinkles from acting in all the places that indicated contentment and peace. Her face, though still young for someone in her late twenties, had rounded slightly after retiring from acting recently. No doubt she'd finally been freed of her strict regimen and diets as an actress. He wondered if he would one day look like that after enough years of happiness.

"I can imagine all the hearts you’ve already broken with those dashing looks, and the hearts you’ll break in the future as well." She chuckled upon seeing the discomfort twist his expression. "Ah, I remember that face all too well. But you're a man now… Got a girlfriend yet?”

The question threw Sasuke off guard and he blinked at her for a second as every feminine eye in the room turned to him. “... No,” he answered quietly, and a chorus of giggles and ‘ooohs’ erupted somewhere between the white columns on his left.

Koyuki seemed genuinely surprised by the answer, but before she could say anything, Naruto was already sniggering with glee on Kakashi’s right. “Hey, I’ve got a girlfriend! Well, actually, she’s my wife now—we got married just last month!”

For some reason, the old, competitive side of Sasuke resurfaced at that comment, but he chalked it up to Naruto’s presence. They’d always competed over every little thing in their Genin days, pushed each other to be stronger, faster, smarter, and better. But all of that had to do with becoming a more powerful ninja. Love, on the other hand, was a whole new battlefield—one that his friend undoubtedly had triumphed in while Sasuke didn’t even know how to maneuver his way through.

“Is that so? Hard to believe that kid from before is now married."

"Hey, I'm a man now, too, dattebayo!"

"A married man, huh? So then, am I going to be expecting any family trips next time you visit?”

“Family trips?”

“You know...” Smirking slightly, Koyuki propped an arm on the side of the throne and leaned her cheek against it. “With your children.”

The Jinchūriki’s face flushed scarlet, the red of his skin clashing with the blue of his eyes. With a sheepish chuckle, he said, “Uh, I-I’m not sure yet.”

 _Yet_ , Sasuke noted the keyword.

Laughing quietly, the princess chose to give Naruto some time to recover as she looked over to the Anbu member of the team. “And you must be Sai. I believe this is the first time we’re meeting. I heard your talents dabble in artistry, is that true?”

“That’s right.” Sai maintained his polite smile before the princess. “My ninjutsu specialty relies on the usage of ink, but drawing is also a hobby of mine.”

“Then an artisan like yourself must’ve noticed the lack of paintings that normally would decorate the walls of the foyer, right?”

"Uh, y-yes, I did…"

The gentle smile on Koyuki’s face tilted down slightly with a hint of sadness as she spoke. “When my uncle took over, he burned all evidence of my heritage, including portraits of my father, and mother, as well as myself. He replaced them with paintings of only himself which, of course, I burned down as soon as I reclaimed the throne… with the help of Team Kakashi. The next time you visit, I hope you will have the time to fulfill my request to paint me and my husband."

"You're married?!" Naruto gaped at her. "I didn't hear anything about this!"

"Engaged for now, but I'll be marrying soon. The tabloids aren't exactly reliable news, you know." Her smile turned wry before she returned her attention to Sai. "So what do you think? I'm told you're a talented artist. I've trusted Team Kakashi with my life before. I would think I can trust their artist as well."

"I…" The corners of Sai's eyes wrinkled as he smiled at her. "It would be an honor, Milady."

She sighed. "Thank you, Sai… You know, I told your Sensei years ago how I’m forever in his team’s debt and I know you need my help now that your teammate is missing.” Violet-blue eyes looked over the four of them in turn as she stood up and nodded to one of the ladies by the columns. “I understand that your rescue mission is time-sensitive and I will do everything in my power to help you, but I think the person who can help you best in this situation is her.”

Four pairs of eyes followed Koyuki’s gaze to the woman emerging from the columns. A long, dark pink braid of hair swayed behind the woman as she walked over to stand beside the princess. Compared to the young royal, this woman was around Kakashi’s age and dressed in simple pale lavender robes with a white apron tied to her front. Sasuke noticed how her chocolate-brown eyes lingered for a moment on Kakashi’s face before she bowed to them.

“This is the castle’s resident healer: Rina Handa. She was also the leader of the search team, so she can answer any questions you might have regarding the investigation.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet the noble shinobi of Konohagakure. I only wish we could have met under better circumstances,” Rina said, her voice unexpectedly very sweet and lilting for a middle-aged woman. Her eyes kept flitting over to Kakashi who seemed a bit perplexed himself at the sight of her.

“Oh yeah!” Naruto stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Kakashi’s leg. “If you’re a healer, then can you patch up our sensei? He almost got mauled by a bear earlier!”

“That’s exaggerating it a bit, Naruto,” the older man murmured.

“O-Oh, of course!” Glancing over to Koyuki, the healer waited until the princess gave her the go-ahead. Stepping towards them, she gestured a hand towards the corridor on the left where a retinue of maids carried away crisp white sheets folded in their arms. “I’ll take a look at that wound right away then.”

“I leave them in your care, Rina. Please take care now, boys,” Koyuki said as one of the aides stepped over to her side. Turning in the direction of the opposite corridor, she noticed Naruto’s disappointed expression and added, “I’m a real princess now, remember, kid? I wish I could stay and chat longer but we both have a duty that calls. In the meantime, all of you, please feel free to stay however long you wish. If there’s anything you need, just ask Rina or any of the servants around.”

“Thank you for your assistance, Lady Koyuki.” Kakashi bowed once more as did the others.

“Right, thanks a lot, Princess Ga—” Catching himself, Naruto laughed and said, “Lady Koyuki.”

“See you around, kiddo, and I hope you boys find your teammate soon,” she replied with a smile before turning back to her aide who was already yanking open a long scroll that was no doubt a list of duties she needed to see to.

Though he’d welcomed the sight of an old face, Sasuke was glad to be out of that room for it’d been stifling with too many women giving him attention he didn’t want. However, trailing after this Rina Handa, he found himself passing by more young servant girls who kept giving him a double-take, with their faces turning a bright tomato shade on the second take. It seemed that male shinobis weren’t a common sight in these lands; at least, he assumed that was the reason for their stares and sighs.

Ignoring the umpteenth giggle from another maid, Sasuke focused on the woman guiding them down the castle passages. There were callouses on the pads of her fingers, but much thicker than the callouses medical-nins typically gained from the field. Her shoulders slouched forward slightly, and her gait was steady but it lacked the gracefulness of a shinobi.

He was curious to know how similar her role as a healer was to Sakura’s role as a medical-nin but, instead, he walked alongside Kakashi and quietly said, “That woman seems to know you, but I don’t remember her from our mission with Doto.”

“That’s because it’s from a time when you weren’t even born yet,” Kakashi merely said, and Sasuke didn’t have any more time to inquire further as they were led into a room clearly meant for VIP patients only.

Opposite of the entrance they’d filed through was a floor-length window that gave the men a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains sitting behind an expanse of tall pine trees. It set an idyllic atmosphere in the room—almost romantic, he had to admit. He could see why such a relaxing place was reserved for patients from a more important background.

“Please wait here.” Rina guided their sensei to one of the beds lining the right side of the room before looking at the other men and gesturing to the table on the left side.

A warm fire was already crackling in the far corner, a fresh pile of logs stacked by it. The heat of the flames made the medicinal scent coming from the nearby storage cabinets smell almost like incense. As the boys sat themselves at the table, they watched the healer retrieve some gauze and a large tub from the cabinet.

Unable to wait any longer, Sasuke decided to be the first to ask the question that sat on the men’s tongues. “So what happened with your search? Were you able to find anything?”

When he said ‘anything’, he meant _anything_. Because, at this point, anything was better than grasping at straws all day as they’d been doing.

Sighing, Rina plopped herself at Kakashi’s side and began to cut away the shredded material around his ankle. There was the sound of liquid sloshing in a bottle as she soaked a clean rag in what he guessed to be alcohol by the way the smell stung his nose. As she disinfected Kakashi’s wound, she answered, “I was supposed to meet Haruno-sensei at Yukigakure around evening, but then that snowstorm came out of nowhere and I worried that she had gotten lost. After the blizzard passed, I waited for an hour at the village gates before deciding to send the report. Lady Koyuki gave me a team that I split up into two: Group A to comb the roads between Yukigakure and Hanabana village, and Group B to scour Hanabana Village and the port. I stationed myself at Yukigakure during the search in case Haruno-sensei would somehow turn up at our rendezvous point, but…”

She shook her head while wrapping Kakashi’s leg with the gauze.

“There was no sign of her anywhere, so I assumed she got caught but… It’s like she just _vanished_ in the blizzard. Even with the hounds, we couldn’t find a body or any belongings. Nothing. If it weren’t for some of the villagers mentioning that they’d seen a pink-haired woman, I’d have thought she never made it to the Land of Spring at all.”

With his calf now bandaged, Kakashi lowered his leg and flexed his foot. In the corner, the fire popped, shooting up a shower of embers as the men processed her words.

From Sasuke’s point of view, it truly did seem as if Sakura had just vanished into thin air. The only evidence of her presence here in this land had been the accounts of villagers and a single strand of cotton pink hair. But how could someone like Sakura just vanish without a trace?

As he pondered, he felt a shadow suddenly blanket him and he peered up at a pair of patient, chocolate brown eyes. “What about you?” she asked, and it took him a moment to realize the woman had been asking the others individually if they needed treatment as well. “Do you need treatment?” Rina repeated as Sasuke shifted his gaze to the bangs brushing the sides of her face, the pink of which was several shades darker compared to the cherry blossom pink he was more familiar with.

Slowly, Sasuke shook his head. "I'm—"

_“_ — _fine,” he repeated once more, struggling to ward off the pair of small hands tugging at the hem of his blue shirt._

_“How can you be fine when the back of your shirt is shredded?!” the girl demanded over his shoulder. “Kakashi-sensei told me to take care of you. At least let me take a look.”_

_But he kept a hand locked around her dainty wrists to hold her hands down in place, his strength easily overpowering hers. “It’s just a cut,” he grunted. Why did she have to make a big deal about it? Honestly, it didn't even hurt much. He'd had worse._

_"Just a cut?"_

_"Y-Yeah…"_

_“Sasuke-kun.” Her voice was tight with frustration now. “You’re very strong for a shinobi at your age. Kakashi-sensei sees it, I see it, everyone sees it_ — _even Naruto… But you’re not invincible.”_

_“I didn’t say I was, Sakura, I just said that I’m fine. So quit your worrying already.”_

_“I worry because I care…”_

_Those words leave Sasuke stumped as it draws out a memory of his mother explaining that father only scolded him so much because he cared a lot._

_“Why won’t you just let me help you?” her voice fell to a quiet murmur as if she was asking herself that question rather than him._

_Sasuke held back a sigh as he himself fell silent, his lips pressing together until he finally opened them to say, “I don’t need your help.”_

_If he needed her help_ — _or anyone’s help_ — _then that meant he was simply too weak to kill his brother. And he planned to make that dream a reality by relying on his own power. Not by relying on people who had no business in his affairs._

 _“But everyone needs help at some point, Sa_ — _”_

_“Why do you want to help me so badly?” The question tumbled out of his mouth before he could consider it properly. “Because we’re teammates?” he asked further, roused by irritation from thinking that his brother would be looking down at him in disappointment and disgust if he saw him right now._

_There was a pregnant pause, and then she whispered, voice trembling with a certain emotion he recognized from the Land of Waves, “Because seeing you hurt… hurts me too, Sasuke-kun.”_

_The compassion of her answer conquered any and all frustration that’d been burning hot in his chest and Sasuke’s breath froze upon feeling a wet warmth drip onto his arm. She was crying, her tears rolling down his skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake._

_Why did she always have to cry over him?_

_But he relented, releasing her thin wrists to let her do as she pleased._

_“Sasuke-kun?” Sakura sniffed._

_“Just hurry up before Naruto and Kakashi return,” he mumbled, turning his face away from the source of her voice._

_Small white fingers grasped the edge of his shirt and he raised his arms as she pulled the clothing off him. Closing his eyes, he listened to the sound of her rummaging through the first aid kit for a minute, the fire nearby crackling loudly in the otherwise tranquil forest._

_“I have to clean your cuts, so this’ll sting a bit.”_

_Something wet and soft touched his back, but he didn’t mind the flash of pain that followed. He’d been wounded much deeper than this before._

_“Okay, I’m going to apply the ointment now.” Her warm breath ghosted over Sasuke’s bare back and he went rigid at the strange sensation. Sakura must have noticed the sudden tension in him because she quickly asked, “Are you feeling pain elsewhere?”_

_“N-No,” he stammered, frowning as more goosebumps broke out across his arms. “Just hurry it up.”_

_“Okay…”_

_But the goosebumps began to spread as soon as he felt her fingertips start to caress his back. Her touch was light and gentle on the cuts, almost ticklish, and Sasuke had to suppress a shiver as her two fingers stroked the injured flesh with a tenderness that left him feeling… strangely pleasant._

_The pleasant feeling spread warm and low in his gut with every stroke of her fingers. When she finally pulled away, Sasuke released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. But the pleasant warmth in his gut persisted as she began to dress his wound with strips of gauze. Adding pressure to her fingers, she traced the edges of the dressing, securing it with medical tape. He could feel her fingertips press firmly across his back, dragging right, down, left, and then up, rubbing at the knots in his muscles in the process, his tension melting away under her touch._

_There was a weird tingle building low in his belly the longer her fingers rubbed him._

_As she unknowingly stroked the knots away, a strange sound rumbled from Sasuke's chest and his eyes snapped open, the both of them having paused from the noise he’d accidentally made._

_“Oh! Did I hurt you, Sasuke-kun?” Pink tresses tickled his bare shoulder and it was like every nerve instantly lit up there._

_That warmth in his gut fluttered and burned and suddenly Sasuke felt too warm even with his shirt off. Clicking his tongue, he made to glance over his shoulder, the words on his tongue sharp with a weird frustration that itched in him. “That’s enou_ — _”_

_His cheek collided with something soft and he froze at the same time Sakura exclaimed, “Ouch!”_

_She pulled away from him to rub the aching tip of her nose, but Sasuke’s eyes fell down to her lips. Both of his cheeks felt unnaturally hot now, but the cheek where he’d bumped her seemed to burn hotter than the other._

_The fire popped, tussling a loose log._

_Jade eyes clashed with black for too long a moment, the light of the fire dancing in their reflection. He was glad the flames were bright and hot tonight, bathing their faces in a red warmth._

_“Hey, guess what?!” Naruto’s voice boomed across their camp, breaking the spell. Sasuke quickly grabbed his spare shirt and slipped it on, ignoring the ache of his cuts. “We caught a lotta fish so we’re gonna have a feast tonight!”_

_Still holding the buckets of fish high in the air, the blond boy stopped upon noticing the way his teammates had their backs to each other. He thought it was strange to find them ignoring each other like this, but oh well! He didn’t know what had happened, but he knew this was his chance to have Sakura-chan’s attention on him all night long!_

_Ignoring the boy chuckling mischievously, Sasuke crossed his arms and glared into the fire. His face still felt hot, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the flames or… something else._

_This is annoying, he thought to himself._

  
  


"All right then, if you say so." Rina nodded at him, her chocolate-brown eyes passing over the notable depression on the left side of his poncho as she moved to return her kit to the cabinet.

“Actually, we, too, asked some of the locals at Hanabana Village,” Kakashi said from his bed. “According to one of the villagers, they saw Sakura continue on to Yukigakure shortly before the blizzard hit. One of my ninken also managed to pick up her scent and we followed the trail north of Hanabana Village, to an abandoned hut she likely took shelter at.”

Rina stiffened at those last words, her hands briefly pausing in the supply cabinet before she continued to close it. In the reflection of the glass, Sasuke noticed her pale expression and the trepidation that drew her brows in.

“That’s how we found this.” Sai indicated to the white bag sitting at the foot of Kakashi's bed. “Those are the supplies you were meant to receive.”

She approached the bag, her feet seemingly dragging now with reluctance.

“The supplies were buried in the snow,” Sasuke said, watching the healer open the bag to retrieve one of the syringes filled with the purple fluid. He’d expected relief to wash over her expression, but her brows were slowly pinching together instead. “Whoever left it there either did it to hide any evidence or to preserve the medicine… or maybe both.”

When Rina remained silent, Sai continued. “We also found a strand of her hair and the mark of a kunai, but that's all we—”

“H-Hang on a minute.” She shook her head, the tail of her braid whipping left and right. “You’re saying you found this bag—all of those things… in-inside that abandoned hut? How… How did you get in there?”

“Probably the same way Sakura-chan did." Naruto tipped a brow at the strange question. “We walked right through the front door!”

“But… that shouldn’t be possible. Nobody’s been able to get inside that house for ages. Not by the door or even the windows. It’s one of the reasons why nobody lives there.”

“Hm…” Naruto shrugged. “Well, maybe Sakura-chan busted her way in?”

“But the door was intact when we opened it,” Sai reminded him.

Rina spun towards Kakashi who’d been quietly observing her from his bed. “And you’re sure Haruno-sensei was in there?”

“How else could her bag have ended up in there?” asked Naruto. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Seeing the woman hesitate, Sasuke decided she needed to be probed further. “One of the children from Hanabana Village said the elders don't like to talk about it, but they mentioned that the house has a bad history. What does that mean?"

Still, Rina remained silent, chewing her bottom lip as if hesitating to hold back whatever secrets she knew. Feeling his patience start to wear out, Sasuke cast his gaze aside to the large window. The white of the land was now painted in a pale, gloomy shade, indicating the sun starting to set now.

"You know something about the hut,” Kakashi finally spoke up. His sober expression was a clear assertion that he didn’t want to waste time with idle chatter any longer. “If you know something, please tell us. At this point, anything would be helpful for our search."

Feeling the heavy stares of the men on her, Rina leaned against the edge of the table and sighed in defeat. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you anything,” she said, exhaustion thick in her voice. “It’s that I have _plenty_ to tell you about that place.”

Kakashi blinked at her. “You do?”

Setting his chokutō atop of the table, Sasuke sat back against his chair to make himself more comfortable. “Tell us then.” It wasn't a suggestion.

Rina sucked in a breath, holding it in for a second before exhaling slowly. “Yes… In fact, I can tell you its whole history, if you’d like.” She surveyed the men gaping at her and then lowered her eyes to the scuffed mahogany wood of the table. “After all, I was born and raised in that house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **^Up there's our lovely Princess Koyuki^! Naruto saying Sasuke never had a reaction to his Sexy Jutsus is in reference to Naruto Shippuden episodes 179 and 180, filler episodes in which Genin Naruto uses Sexy Jutsu on Sasuke but Sasuke is unperturbed.**  
>  **I didn’t intend for the team’s dialogue to stretch on for so long, but the sex talk is what happens when these young men are put together with their perverted sensei without Sakura to reprimand them. Also, the sex talk is actually an important plot point since, if you saw the tags I recently added, there will be sexual content in this fic. I also just couldn’t resist writing a scene of pubescent Genin Sasuke becoming sexually aware (sounds weird, but you know what I mean) and, of course, Sakura has to be the one to make him aware of those feelings since she’s like the only girl he really interacts with.**  
>    
> Next chapter some truth about the hut is explained!


	6. Once Upon a Time...

"That's your house?! That creepy—" Naruto caught himself, realizing he was being rude.

"Yes, but it didn't always look like that," replied Rina. Her mouth pursed wistfully before settling into a faint smile. "It used to be a beautiful little home, open to anyone in need of shelter or aid no matter who you were or where you came from."

Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto each exchanged dubious looks, the three of them having a difficult time imagining that such a depressing place had once been the kind of beautiful home the healer remembered it to be. But for Sasuke, he believed her.

The Uchiha Compound had also once been a glorious estate, the walls painted with their uchiwa fan symbol and ponds filled with fat koi fish, some of which would go missing whenever a stray cat visited during moonlit nights. In spring, the cherry blossom trees would cast the house in a lavender light while he and Itachi would sit to watch the clouds, passing time together with talks about his school progress, training, or Itachi's missions. After his clan's slaughter, the estate had fallen into a nightmarish place reminiscent of the memories contained behind its walls. Passing through the district as a child had been like visiting the ghosts of his clan, and Sasuke hadn't returned to his childhood house since he reanimated the Hokages with Orochimaru. A place like that was no longer his home anyway.

Rina exhaled. “I suppose I should start from the beginning…”

“Please do,” Kakashi said just as a low growl echoed over him.

All eyes in the room turned to Sasuke who had lowered his face to let his bangs fall across. There was a pregnant pause as everyone tried to discern the Uchiha’s demeanor and see if they’d heard right.

“Oh!” She perked up and then dropped her head low in apology. “I’m so sorry! You all must be so exhausted and hungry from traveling without break. I’ll make a request to the maids to—”

Sasuke shook his head. “Just tell us the story so that we can be on our way.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s all right. I’m not that—” **_Grrrrr!_ ** “Hungry…” he finished awkwardly.

Narrowing his eyes at him, Kakashi asked, “When was the last time you ate?”

“I have some soldier pills. I’ll be—”

“Don’t say you’ll be fine. Sakura won’t appreciate you pushing yourself like this.”

Seeing the tense eye contact between the two men, Naruto leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms high in a show of exhaustion. “Well, _I’m_ hungry! We've been traveling and running around nonstop. Besides, what if we find Sakura-chan and she needs our help, but we’re too hungry and exhausted to do much? Sakura-chan will end up having to save _us_ instead—ttebayo!” He suddenly whipped his head towards Sai, blue eyes hardening with fierce intention. “Hey, Sai! You're hungry too, right?! _Right?!_ ”

“U-Uh, yes..?” Sai smiled wryly under Naruto’s intense gaze, gradually understanding the message being conveyed. “Yes, I’m quite famished!”

“Please,” Rina turned to Sasuke. “It won’t do you any good to continue your search on an empty stomach. The mind and body work best when fed and rested well. Also, our Agaleia broth here is very nourishing. I promise it won’t take long to prepare it and you can listen to my story while you eat up.”

“....”

“The longer we argue about this, the more time we waste,” Kakashi added when he saw the hesitation in Sasuke’s face.

At that, the Uchiha conceded with a sharp nod. But he remained under the scrutiny of his teammates as Rina left the infirmary to make the request for the food. He supposed it was only natural to worry about the wellbeing of another comrade, but he’d worked under much harsher conditions as well as under the pressure of time. Food was usually an afterthought for shinobi like themselves during time-sensitive missions; it was the reason why food pills had been created in the first place.

So he couldn't understand what they were thinking, prioritizing food over Sa—

“Wasn’t it you who said to not let your emotions get in the way of the mission, Sasuke?” Kakashi challenged him, his grey eyes crinkling slightly at the sight of the young man scowling down at his lap.

“...Aa,” he answered despite knowing it was more of a rhetorical question.

He forced himself to relax, shoulders sagging but the knot in his chest continued to twist with unease. He couldn't shake off this foreboding feeling that'd been hanging over his head since their arrival to this land.

"Sasuke, I understand how you feel—I do… but running headfirst into a situation we know nothing about is dangerous for you and your teammates. One soldier pill can boost you for a couple of hours, but then you'll be crashing just as hard right after. That's why they're only for emergency use."

 _But isn’t this an emergency?_ Sasuke wanted to retort back, but he merely grit his teeth, knowing deep down that his former sensei wasn't wrong.

"Oh, c'mon, Sensei! Cut him some slack! After all, it's his first time chasing after a missing teammate!” A smug grin split across Naruto’s face and he leaned over the mahogany table to jeer at the Uchiha quietly sulking. “So how does it feel? _Hmmm, Sasuke?_ ” he drawled out. “You like tasting your own medicine?”

"It doesn't matter,” he replied all nonchalantly. “I'll find Sakura and bring her back home in less than the four years it took you with me, Naruto."

His friend’s jaw dropped in response, too flabbergasted. “Y-You…!” Naruto began to sputter out, “It took me four damn years only because you were always being such a—"

“Oh, look! Food’s here,” Sai interrupted them with an amiable smile.

They looked up to the four maids slipping into the room, each carrying a tray of a bowl steaming with something. Sasuke’s mouth instantly watered at the sight, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

“I hope one bowl for each of you is enough,” Rina said, gesturing for the maids to set the trays on the table with the fourth tray given to Kakashi. “I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to set you guys off on a heavy stomach but just let me know if you'd like to eat more.”

“This will do just fine. Thank you, Rina,” Kakashi nodded at her.

Sasuke studied the rose-tinted water that filled his bowl. The steam wafting from it possessed faint traces of something floral, but not as intense as the fragrance that hung around Hanabana Village. Still, he dipped his spoon into the bowl with suspicion, uncertain of how this kind of soup that smelled like flowers would taste. Would it be like eating any other kind of plant or perhaps it would taste as sweet as it smelled?

He wasn’t one for sweets, but it would be rude to refuse the food now that it was already sitting before him.

Taking a small sip from the spoon, Sasuke blinked in surprise at the sudden kickback that followed the initial sweetness of the soup. There was an acidic tang that awakened his taste buds and he also tasted subtle notes of some sort of spice. Swallowing that first spoonful, he found that the soup settled warm in his belly, leaving a delicious burn in his throat similar to how an alcohol like sake did. The bewildered expressions of his other teammates told Sasuke that they too had thought the same thing: it was surprisingly good.

Seeing Naruto start to slurp away, Rina smiled. “I’m glad to see you’re enjoying the Agaleia broth. You are Lady Koyuki's honored guests, so please eat as much as you want and don't hesitate to ask for anything. In the meantime, you wished to hear the story of that house from the very beginning, right?"

"Aa, we would appreciate that,” said Sasuke. “And don't leave out any details."

"Very well, I will tell you all that I know.” She moved to the fireplace, grabbing the poker stick to stir at the coal and logs. Her shadow stretched long behind her, swaying across the walls as she spoke. “If we are to start from the beginning, then I suppose we should start with my grandmother, Yui Handa. You see, my family didn't always live in the Land of Spring. My Granny was originally a kunoichi from Otogakure."

Everyone’s spoons froze before their lips while Naruto made a choking sound.

"O-Oto… Otogakure?” Naruto wheezed out in between coughs, his bandaged hand thumping at his chest. He glanced at Sasuke as if his next question was intended for him instead of Rina. “Isn't that the Land of Sound's Hidden Village?"

 _Orochimaru's_ Hidden Village. Just thinking of that man’s name left a bitter taste in Sasuke’s mouth.

"Yes,” the healer nodded, still staring into the fire. “But during the First Shinobi World War, the Land of Sound was still known as the Land of Rice Fields, and Otogakure was just a small village with very few but promising ninjas. My grandmother and her brother were one of those promising ninjas. The village leader would send them into battle as allies for one of the neighboring nations. In exchange, that nation would send Otogakure aid and protection. Although the village had still been small and new, the use of ninjas during a war delivered economic prosperity to Otogakure, and they flourished quickly.”

The fire bathed Rina’s face red, illuminating her melancholic countenance.

“But then, at the height of the war, my grandmother and her brother chose to flee from their village…"

**54 years ago…**

_She’d lost count of how many hours they’d been running for their lives. Over a day, at least, but her mind was too blank from exhaustion to really remember if she'd seen any moon yet._

_The sky was an angry grey, hiding the sun from them and unleashing startling cracks of thunder every moment or so. They’d not touched land since crossing the border of the Land of Rice Fields, and the sea was a raging torrent that seemed determined to pull Yui and Isamu into their watery graves for eternity._

_Her lungs burned and her vision blurred through the salty spray of the waves, but Yui pressed on, her attention fixated on the broad back of her older brother. Charred bits of his shirt clung to the muscles of his back, the skin of which was red and raw, but at least the blood had congealed._

_The muscles of her legs cramped from exhaustion and every ragged breath felt like a punch to the chest. Her whole body seemed to be screaming for rest._

_Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t.. Don’t stop, she chanted in her mind._

_The chakra burning at her feet began to stutter and Yui whimpered, too drained to let out so much as a cry when a wave consumed her whole, the force of it knocking the rest of the air out of her aching lungs. Water clogged her ears, muffling all sense of sound and making her feel as if she was drifting away into the cold nothingness._

_Am I… going to die here? she wondered. This must be punishment… for running away… like a coward… abandoning everyone…_

_Darkness bled into her vision from all corners as Yui sunk further into the sea’s bottomless depths. The last bubbles escaped from her mouth and she felt her eyelids grow heavy in preparation for the cold embrace of death._

_Suddenly, there was pressure around her numb fingers. It tugged at her body, dragging her up, and up, and—she broke through the surface, gasping for air and coughing. The sound of thunder splitting the sky returned, deafening her ears. But it was the pain of the saltwater burning the open gash at her side that reminded Yui that she was still alive._

_“Nii-sama!” she sputtered, blinking at the man who was the mirror reflection of herself._

_“Yui, are you all right?” Isamu bellowed his question over another boom of thunder._

_She shook her head, wanting to cry but too weak to do even that. “I can’t,” she managed to say through trembling lips. “I c-can’t go on anymore.”_

_“Yes, you can!”_

_“Nii-sama, I can’t!” she continued shaking her head. Water slapped at her cheeks, washing away any tears she might’ve squeezed out. “I’m out of chakra. I… I can’t go on anymore. P-Please just go...”_

_Isamu looked around wildly as if searching for an answer to her problem even though they were in the middle of the sea, its turbulent currents threatening them with a painful death. Dark pink locks clung to his cheeks as he contemplated for a moment, his chest expanding with every heavy huff of breath. Another angry wave nearly threw him off his feet and he almost lost his grip on Yui, holding onto her for dear life lest she be pulled back under._

_“I’ll carry you,” he finally said, turning to her with wide eyes. A flash of lightning illuminated the determination frozen in his face._

_She began to shake her head again. “You can’t! I'll only slow you down and you hardly have enough strength left, Nii-sama...”_

_But he was already grunting and pulling Yui out of the water to adjust her onto his back, her legs locking securely around his waist and arms wrapping over his shoulders. “Don’t underestimate your big brother!” he shouted with renewed vigor as if in challenge to the storm itself._

_Before she could protest, Isamu was already sprinting once more, cresting the choppy waves though she knew he had to be just as exhausted as her. Not just because they'd run across the whole country and were now running across the sea itself, but also because they'd not stopped running since fighting off a whole squad of their fellow shinobi—some of them former teammates._

_It was a wonder how her brother could still move when he'd been the one to take the brunt of the attacks. But Isamu had always been the best shinobi in their village after all..._

_What little warmth she could feel through his back she clung to with desperation, shivering as she struggled to keep her eyes peeled open for any sign of—_

_“Land!” she croaked out._

_“Where?!” His voice sounded far-off now._

_Her vision began to swim and it took Yui a second to realize she was losing consciousness but this time from the loss of blood. The wound she’d sustained from the kunai of her former comrades had taken its toll on her, and once again she faced death._

_"Yui, stay with me!" His voice was like a lifeline calling her back to consciousness. "Where?!"_

_“Sixty degrees… Northeast!” she rasped in his ear._

_Isamu let out a yell as chakra burned brighter at his feet, abruptly boosting him with a burst of more speed. Sharp gusts of wind tried to shake him off course, but the siblings remained steadfast together, the blip of land growing ever closer with each passing second until…_

_One last wave shoved at the siblings from behind, launching them into the air and towards a bank of sand. Isamu caught Yui in midair, wrapping his arms around her to soften his sister’s fall. They rolled, grunting in pain and sending up a shower of sand before rolling to a stop._

_For a while, they didn’t move._

_“Nii… sama…” Yui spat the sand out of her mouth before leaning down to press an ear against her brother’s chest._

**_Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp..._ **

_She sighed. He was alive, but unconscious._

_“Nii-sama!” Yui shouted at his face. When he didn’t open his eyes, she raised a hand and—_

**_SMACK!_ **

_“Ouch!” Isamu howled, jerking himself up to glare at his younger sister._

_“Now’s not the time for a nap,” she spoke through clenched teeth, one hand pressed against the side where her cream-colored robes were torn and soaked red. Her gaze moved away from her brother’s panicked eyes, sweeping across the shore before landing on a patch of wild flowers, their petals spiky and orange in color. “Bloodrum…”_

_“Blood—wha..?”_

_Isamu turned to follow her line of sight. Understanding dawned in his face and he immediately stumbled to his feet, nearly tripping in his hurry to rip the flowers out by their roots. Quickly, he returned to her, the orange flowers shaking in his grip._

_“Leaves and petals…” Yui winced as more pain stabbed at her side, replacing the shock of the freezing seawater._

_Nodding, Isamu plucked every leaf and petal, green and orange crumpling in his palm. When he held it out to her once more, she grabbed them and shoved the foliage into her mouth only to gag and spit it back out just as fast. I’m too dehydrated… I don’t have any more saliva…_

_She held out the leaves and petals to her brother instead. “Chew for me.”_

_Blood spilled out between the fingers she kept against her wound and Yui grit through the pain as she watched her brother munch up the foliage for a few seconds before spitting into her free hand. Groaning, she pressed the crude poultice to her gash while Isamu ripped at the sopping remains of his shirt, squeezing out the seawater before wrapping the strips of cloth around her waist._

_Once the knot was secured, Isamu raised his doe brown eyes to her face, concern wrinkling his brows. “Will you be okay?”_

_“Well, I lost my flute,” she smirked at him. “But I’ll live.”_

_“It was a good idea to slow them down in your genjutsu. That way, we didn’t have to kill them…”_

_“Yeah,” she nodded. “I just hope they don’t track us here. We didn’t take a ship so hopefully nobody knows where we went…”_

_With Isamu helping her up, the two siblings then surveyed the field of flowers that stretched out before them, the blossoms shivering beneath the storm above but standing resolute nonetheless._

_“Where are we?” her brother inquired._

_But Yui didn’t have an answer. She only knew that they were far away from the cruel destiny that would have befallen them had they remained in their village._

_As if sensing her thoughts, Isamu fixed his attention on her and asked, “Was it right to do what we did?”_

_Truthfully, Yui didn’t have an answer for that either. Had it been right to abandon her people, as well as her own comrades, just like that in the middle of a war? She did not know, but what she did know was that…_

_“We won’t be tools for war anymore,” she declared. “The world is full of so much hatred already, Nii-sama. It’s a never ending cycle of vengeance for a lost loved one. I don’t want that cycle to keep on spinning. I refuse to be a part of that bloodshed.”_

_“But we were raised to take the path of the shinobi,” Isamu replied quietly, his voice nearly carried away by the wind. “It was our duty to fight for our people. It’s the path we’ve walked on for our entire lives.”_

_Yui shook her head. “And now we can walk on a new path, Nii-sama. We can go in any direction we want—we have the freedom to make that choice. And I choose to not feed the hatred that plagues this world. It’s a hatred that will consume us all if we let it.”_

_“Then what do you plan to do?”_

_A smile slowly spread across her face and Yui gestured with open arms. “There’s already so much evil and pain in this world. I want to spread love instead… So, I’m going to heal this world, one soul at a time. I don't care how long it takes—I'm going to do it.”_

_But Isamu’s eyes remained absent of the light that filled Yui’s. Watching his sister for a moment, he then untied his forehead protector, studying the musical note for a mournful minute before turning to toss it in the sea. When Yui followed suit, he muttered, “It won’t be enough. The world of shinobi will always be filled with fighting. Hatred is bred through killing, and it spreads like a plague on a battlefield, one death at a time. Just one person alone can’t stop that, or even slow it down.”_

_“But I’m not alone,” said Yui, and her smile widened when her brother looked to her. “I have you at my side, Nii-sama.”_

_Isamu stared at his younger sister, pondering her words for far longer than necessary. But, eventually, he met her smile with his own and nodded. “Of course you do. I can’t leave my little sister alone in this world. What kind of big brother would I be if I did? After all, it’s my duty to look after you.”_

_The two siblings reached out to each other, hands clasping together as they turned around to face the fresh field of flowers stretched out before them. This land, so green and vast and full of opportunity and life… Yui decided they would make their new home here, and start anew._

_"From now on, it's us and the world."_

“How could she leave behind her friends and family like that?” Kakashi asked from his bed. He had a hand clenched tight on the sheets, his knuckles bone-white. With most of his face hidden behind that mask, that lone hand was the only indication that he was upset. “How could she just… abandon her comrades..?”

A memory of the team’s first bell test from seven years ago resurfaced in Sasuke’s mind as he eyed his former sensei.

_‘Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.’_

“I doubt it was an easy decision for Granny Yui, but she didn’t want to see any more deaths. Even more than that, she didn’t want to continue being a tool that wrought those needless deaths for a war of mere nonsense. Do you know why the First Shinobi World War happened?”

“Ninja clans across the continent were growing stronger and larger, impacting the economies of their nations and bringing Hidden Villages to the forefront,” Kakashi answered solemnly. “It inadvertently created a competition of power between these villages, and even clans. And then a man by the name of Madara Uchiha sewed the first seeds of conflict when he attacked the Second Tsuchikage, shattering the fragile peace between Konohagakure and Iwagakure. The loss of that peace created a ripple effect, prompting the other villages to call to arms in fear that they would be next.”

“Yes, and smaller villages like Otogakure or Amegakure were pulled into that nonsensical conflict,” she said, just as the same retinue of maids from earlier returned to retrieve the men’s empty dishes. “If a shinobi’s hitai-ate was not the same as your own, you were expected to kill them. Neighbors from the outside were your enemies, and your only comrades were the people of your own country—or sometimes just your own clan.”

“Yes, that’s how it was…”

As the maids finished collecting the men’s empty bowls, Rina crossed her arms as if to hug herself. Meanwhile, Sasuke had unsheathed his chokutō, his whetstone sliding across the sharp edge and making a hushed **_‘brrrr’_ ** sound. The others as well as Rina watched him sharpen the blade as she spoke.

“Isamu helped build the hut with Yui, though they did have trouble at first. After all, both siblings were barely in their twenties, and they were more used to destroying and killing rather than creating and building. Even so, they poured their heart and soul into their new home; it was Yui’s way of planting a seed of hope in the planes of war. A haven for anyone in need of help…”

_“C’mon, Nii-sama, put your back into it!” Yui laughed._

_Her brother scowled at her, one hand on the paintbrush and the other shading his eyes from the harsh sun glaring down at him. Sweat dripped down his bare back and the sunlight illuminated the tanlines that sharply contrasted his usually fair skin. Whatever wounds he'd sustained last month from their dangerous trek had since healed over thanks to Yui's care._

_"You missed a spot," she hummed, wrapping a finger around the tail end of her braid._

_He rolled his eyes and paused his work to itch at his shoulder where a sunburn was starting to develop, the brush he held dripping peach paint onto his arm._

_“Do we really have to paint it?” Isamu grunted. “A house is a house, isn’t it?”_

_“It’s boring and dreary to look at brown walls all the time. We want our visitors to feel welcomed, right? We don’t want to scare the people off.”_

_“The paint will just peel off over time, you know.”_

_Smiling, Yui wagged a finger at him. “Then it’s a good thing I’ll have you to paint it for me all over again! Including the white picket fence!”_

_“What white picket fence?” He peered around, confused by what she was talking about. They'd barely just finished the house and had yet to even furnish it._

_“The one I’m going to have you build for me!”_

_“I just finished building a whole house for you literally from the ground up,” her brother groaned. “I can handle sleeping on the floor, but my back is starting to ache and I'd really like a nice, warm bed to sleep in someday… with someday being soon."_

_"It won't kill you to sleep on the floor for a few more days, old man."_

_"No, just my poor back," he muttered. "And you can't call me an old man when I'm only two years older than you. What happened to calling me 'Nii-sama'? You should show me more respect since I'm your elder."_

_"Whatever you say, old man!" Yui stuck her tongue at him before breaking into a snigger._

_Isamu shook his head. "I miss the days when you were a cute lil' kid following your Nii-sama around everywhere," he mumbled under his breath. Dipping his brush into the bucket, he went on to slather more paint, coating the wood in the gentle sunset color. "Why do we even need a picket fence?”_

_“So that it matches the garden I’m going to plant in the front and back. I need a place to grow my own herbs so that, in case of an emergency, I'll have a better chance of saving someone's life...”_

_Isamu sighed, dragging the paintbrush up and down the walls of their house languidly. The brush flicked specks of the peach paint onto his dark pink locks which were beginning to curl from the humid heat and the sticky sweat glistening on his temple. “I’m guessing you’ll make me help you with that too,” he grumbled._

_“But of course!’ Yui giggled, “What are big brothers for if not to spoil their little sister?”_

_Isamu scowled but it soon flipped into a smirk when he twisted around to flick the brush in her direction. Paint sailed through the air, splashing onto Yui’s face. Upon seeing the way her mouth dropped open in shock as the paint dripped down her cheeks, Isamu tipped his head back and barked out a laugh loud enough to echo across the expanse of flowers surrounding them._

_At first, Yui pouted at him, but her ire soon died away to relief at the sound of his laughter. It’d been too long since the last time she’d heard him make that wonderful noise and it wasn’t long before she joined in too. She gripped her sides, her wound subtly aching in protest, but her belly aching with joy._

_Nearby, the blossoms swayed gently as if dancing to the music of their innocent laughter._

“Soon enough, their presence drew the attention of the natives of the land…"

Sasuke eyed himself in the reflection of his chokutō, the blade causing shards of golden light to bounce across the walls as the light of the fire caught it.

Rina continued to speak as she watched Sasuke sheath the sword. "Curious, the villagers visited the brother and sister, asking who they were and where they came from. Not wanting their origins as shinobi to be discovered in fear that the villagers would push them out, Yui explained that they were refugees who’d escaped the war in search of sanctuary, but the villagers remained suspicious of these outsiders. So, to quell their worries, Yui offered her medical services in the hopes that she could establish trust between her and the natives. She was no doctor, but knew much more about herbs, medicine, and first aid than the villagers did, and soon the people were quick to turn to her for help whenever they fell ill or injured themselves.

Quickly, her skills as a healer grew with practice and hard work. It didn’t take long for Yui to fit right in as the village healer, though the same could not be said for Isamu. Unlike his sister, Isamu was not a practitioner of medicine and thus lacked the skills to follow the same occupation. Instead, he found himself reduced to nothing more than a… lackey of sorts.”

“A lackey?” Naruto frowned. “You mean Yui made her own brother her servant?”

“It wasn’t like that. Or, at least, Granny Yui did not intend that for him.” Rina sighed and shook her head. “You see, Yui had found her calling by saving the lives of those in need of her help. On the other hand, for Isamu, his calling was at the Land of Rice Fields where his comrades gave their lives in battle. He believed that his calling was to take the lives of those who threatened his people, as that was how they were raised as shinobi. But at his sister’s side, his skills as a shinobi were not needed. There was no use for kunais, kekkei genkais, espionage—the people of the Land of Spring had no use for ninjas. In other words, they had no use for _him_.

It left Isamu feeling worthless. He knew over fifty ways of how to kill an enemy, but he did not know how to raise a garden the way Yui did. The only thing that kept him going each day was his duty to protect his beloved little sister from anyone who would dare harm her. For Yui, he would do anything, and it is the only reason why he abandoned his village and fled with her."

"Sounds a bit of a sister complex," Sai commented and Naruto nodded.

But Sasuke frowned. Neither of his teammates had grown up under the doting care of another sibling tied to them by blood. Neither of them knew of the burden an older sibling had to carry on their shoulders from the moment of birth. And although Sasuke did view Naruto as his brother, it was still different. A relationship like that.. like the one Yui had shared with Isamu... like the one he himself had shared with Itachi…

_'You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome... Even if you do hate me... That's what big brothers are for.'_

Only he could understand the complexity of that kind of bond. A bond tied together by blood.

"For some time, the two siblings lived peacefully, for they had found some semblance of happiness; they were alive and together—what more could they ask for? Even the brother was content to remain as he was."

"As a lackey?" Naruto raised a brow.

Rina shrugged in return. "As whatever his sister needed him to be. Isamu did all sorts of odd jobs like fixing up the white picket fence at his sister’s request, or painting the house and tilling the soil for her. He just wanted to be of use to her—to his sole remaining precious person, he wanted to be needed. Because if you find yourself without a purpose or reason for living in this world, you might as well be a dead man walking.

And so he made himself Yui’s lackey; she would be tending to people’s wounds or illness and he would do as he was told to do. Boil the water, weed the garden, buy more supplies, carry this man there. Her wish was his command, and Isamu was absolutely fine with that for it filled his life with purpose, saved people's lives and, most of all, it made Yui happy. She had become Isamu's reason for living, and all was fine up until the day came...” Suddenly, melancholy darkened Rina’s stare as she spoke, “when my grandmother fell in love.”

_“That man has nothing to offer you!” Isamu shouted, stomping back and forth in front of the fireplace. His mouth was set in a thin line of anger._

_“Is love so worthless that you would consider it nothing, Nii-sama?” Yui demanded. “Is my love for you nothing too?!”_

_“That’s different!” he snapped at her. “We are bound by flesh and blood. I love you unconditionally, but that man… I see the greed in his eyes, little sister. He would sooner trade you for a million ryo if he had the chance to.”_

_“You don’t know Takeru-kun! He is just a merchant trying to make a living in these hard times—”_

_“He is a weapons dealer!” The chocolate brown of Isamu’s eyes were dark with rage as he pointed a finger at the window. In the direction of the chaotic world beyond their little haven. “He makes a living off people’s deaths and suffering.”_

_“He has no choice if he wants to pay for his mother’s medicine! You know, not everyone enjoys what they do for a living!” she hissed at him. “But someone like you wouldn’t understand that!”_

_Yui gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth, but the damage was already done. Isamu glanced at her and it looked as if she’d stabbed him right in the gut. She might as well have._

_"Nii-sama, I… I didn't mean—"_

_He laughed dryly, bitterly._

_“Is that how you’ve always seen me, little sister? A shinobi who kills for pleasure and money?” His steps were slow and heavy and Yui found herself shrinking back as her brother loomed before her. She almost flinched when he cupped her face, both his hands trembling against her cheeks. “My hands are stained red and I cannot wash away the blood the way you do when you finish tending to a patient. They are dyed with the blood of the comrades I left behind—those comrades who fell in battle without me. They are dripping in the blood of our people—all of whom died to the slaughter because we were not there to protect them… Do you think I enjoyed those deaths, little sister? Do you think I enjoyed hearing the news of our village’s slaughter, knowing that I’m partly to blame for all those deaths? Hm?”_

_“No, Nii-sama,” Yui whispered. “But their deaths are not on your hands. It’s not—”_

_“It is my fault,” he spoke low and harsh. “Because I wasn’t there to defend the village when war came for it. I abandoned my duties and I would do so all over again for you, but that doesn’t mean I cannot feel the guilt eating away at me every day.”_

_“Oh, Nii-sama…” she sighed upon noticing the tears glistening in those dark brown eyes. Her brother had never cried before. Not when he’d made his first kill in a battlefield slick with blood. Nor when they’d been told the news of their parents’ death. He’d not cried then, but had simply held Yui tightly as she herself did._

_“You try to run away from war, but war will come to you regardless,” Isamu murmured. “It came to that man and that man came to you, bleeding and seeking your good grace because he knows you are naive to accept him.”_

_Naive? Ire flashed hot in her cheeks. “I accept all! Man, woman, child, shinobi, civilian—I welcome all in the hopes of spreading kindness and good. If I am to heal this world then I must do so indiscriminately!”_

_And if she be called naive for it, then so be it! She’d rather be a fool with her ideals rather than continue killing._

_“That doesn’t mean you have to… to marry,” he spat the word out, “someone like him! You were so determined to run away from death, and now you’d freely welcome it into your home with open arms and open legs—” Her hand cracked across his face, stopping Isamu’s words in their track. He raised a hand to his cheek and she immediately took a step forward, face full of regret as she reached a hand out to assess his injury. Catching his sister by the wrist, Isamu quietly continued. “Yui… You and I are the sole survivors of our clan. I cannot accept someone who will bring nothing but misfortune to your doorsteps. I won’t allow that to happen to you!”_

_“And yet he has done nothing but deliver me happiness!” Yui cried out. She wrenched herself free of his grasp, her other hand gripping the last flower her brother hadn’t managed to toss into the fire. Petals of the gift she’d received earlier now scattered the floor, trampled beneath Isamu’s feet. “Takeru-kun makes me happy, Nii-sama.”_

_“I thought you were happy here, Yui!” He stopped and turned his face to her, the crackling fire highlighting the woeful crinkle of his eyes. “I thought you were happy here with me… I fled the village with you—for you. Turned my back on my own comrades so that I could protect you. So that Mother and Father’s sacrifices would not be in vain...”_

_“Of course I am happy with you, Nii-sama.” Yui came closer to wrap her arms around Isamu and pull him into a hug. It took him a few seconds to return in kind, his hands clenching at the back of her robes as she whispered, “You are my family… but so is Takeru-kun.”_

_She heard her brother scoff. “He hasn’t married you yet, little sister. And if I could help it, I would never let him become a part of our family.”_

_“No, Nii-sama," Yui spoke softly into the warmth of his chest, "Takeru-kun and I… we’ve already become a family…”_

_Isamu stiffened against her and she felt his arms slacken at her sides as he took a step back. His gaze slid down from his sister’s, widening on the hand she had cupped against her lower belly. Yui watched her brother’s face fall in dismay._

“Isamu had no choice but to accept his sister’s marriage; he didn’t want her reputation to be tarnished by having a child out of wedlock. He stood dutifully by Yui’s side, watched her belly swell with life while he continued to live on as normally as he could, but the added presence of Takeru in the hut made it difficult for Isamu to return to his usual life with his sister. Now that Yui had a husband, there was someone else she could rely on to help her out around the house, picking herbs, cooking meals, lifting patients and whatnot. As Yui neared her delivery date, Isamu decided to do something for her that even her dear husband had forgotten to do…"

The men held their breaths in anticipation.

"He built his sister a rocking chair.”

“Oh, that’s… nice.” Sai’s slight smile showed that he’d expected a fancier gift.

Seeing the blank looks on the three younger men, Kakashi sighed and explained, “So that she could have a comfortable place to nurse her baby in.”

 _Ah_ , Sasuke nodded slowly, as did the others. _Of course_.

Rina nodded. “Perfect timing too because Granny Yui ended up giving birth to my mother the next week. She named her ‘Hana’ in honor of the flowers Grandpa always gifted her. And then the next day after that,” she looked to each of the four shinobi listening intently to her story, “Isamu killed himself.”

_The vase smashed into tiny pretty pieces as Yui screamed._

_Her brother dangled before her very eyes, swaying above the little chair he’d propped in the center of the room as a gentle breeze swept through the open window he’d positioned her new rocking chair at._

_“Nii… Nii-sa… ma…” Yui stumbled a few steps forward before falling to her knees. The shards of the vase she’d been about to fill with flowers cut against her legs but she couldn’t feel any pain. All she felt was her heart splitting in two._

_She stood up, legs wobbling unsurely as she stepped closer, and closer, and closer until she could bury her face to her brother’s stiff legs. Slowly, Yui wrapped her arms around him and lifted and tugged—anything to get him back on his feet because… because it looked so wrong, seeing him like this. Like seeing one of those training dummies their parents used to hang in the backyard for kunai practice and Isamu would teach her how to flick her wrist just right and—_

**_CRACK!_ **

_The beam from which he’d hung himself suddenly snapped, dropping Isamu to the floor like a sack of potatoes. On hands and knees, Yui crawled to him, lips pressed together to contain her whimpering. But when she touched his face, his cold and blue face that was sibling to hers, a scream ripped its way out of her throat and Yui tipped her head back to unleash it._

_“Why did you do it?!” She wailed at her brother, only to cry harder when Isamu did not answer her. “Why, Nii-sama?!”_

_Hot tears splashed onto his face but he remained so cold and blue. Yui wept, cradling him in her arms and rocking him back and forth just like with the baby she’d given birth to yesterday on the rocking chair he’d carved out for her. But whereas her baby had been so full of life in her arms, her brother remained dead._

“I don’t get it,” said Naruto. “Did Isamu really hate his brother-in-law that much that he would rather die?”

Rina shook her head. “Isamu never hated Takeru. He may have disapproved of the merchant, yes, and that’s only because he had his sister’s best interests in mind, but hate? No, never. Hatred was too strong of an emotion for Isamu who was more gentle-hearted than people believed. Even if he did feel hate, his despair was far stronger.”

“Then why did he kill himself? I mean, he had a nice and peaceful life going on with his sister, away from war and safe with his family. He had a whole life ahead of him!”

“Because war was all Isamu knew, for he’d been bred for the sole purpose of becoming a weapon.”

At that, Sasuke watched Naruto lower his eyes, the blue of which had gone dim with sorrow.

“And unlike Yui who had been forced into it, her older brother had chosen the path of the Shinobi with the wish to protect his family, and so he was burdened by the way they had abandoned their clan,” Rina explained. “He had only followed Yui out of an obligation to look after her as her older brother—out of his love for her. But as an adept healer, Yui proved herself useful among victims and cynics of the war while her brother, a shinobi whose skills were meant for battle, found himself in the sidelines without a purpose. The path of the shinobi was the road he’d walked his entire life and, though Isamu craved to return to that familiar path, he knew that doing so would put his sister back in danger as well.

Still, the war drove Isamu guilty over the abandonment of his fellow comrades and, after the news of their village's destruction and seeing that his sister didn’t need him anymore, Isamu felt worthless. Unfortunately, Yui was too busy helping others to notice that her own brother needed help as well, and by then it was too late.”

“Why couldn’t he just tell her his feelings?!” Naruto demanded. “If they had just talked it out—”

“It’s not so easy like that,” Sasuke said, and though his voice remained steady, it was soft with sympathy. “I’m sure the brother wanted to tell his sibling everything, but… Even though they are family, sometimes you don’t want to tell your sibling the truth in fear that it will only burden them.”

And as he said that, he could hear Itachi’s words to him as if the ghost of his older brother was whispering just over his shoulder: _‘I always lied to you, telling you to forgive me. I used these hands to keep you at distance... I did not want you to get involved. But now... I think you could have changed father and mother… perhaps even the entire Uchiha. If I would have stood in front of you and looked you in the eyes from the very beginning... talked to you instead of down to you... and been open about everything... But I failed, and speaking to you now, like this, isn't going to undo the permanent damage that's already been done to you. That's why I wanted to show you the truth. Even if it's just a little. And no matter what you decide to do from here on out, you never have to forgive me. I will always love you.’_

Sasuke’s grip on his chokutō tightened.

Across from him, Naruto had fallen silent, his gaze wavering with consternation before dropping to the hands fisted on his lap.

When the moment passed, Rina sucked in a breath. “A year later, Yui would discover that her brother had been right about Takeru: the war came to him once again. Takeru had initially quit selling ninja weapons to appease Yui, but was quickly forced to return to the business in order to feed their newborn daughter. Hana had just turned one year old when Takeru was found dead at the side of the road on his way home, all of his merchandise gone, including the ninja weapons.”

“A thief?” asked Kakashi.

“One of his own clients,” Rina answered. “The client was a rogue shinobi who didn’t have enough money to buy everything he needed, and what he had most desperately wanted was a ninja weapon to protect his family with. You see, the war had ravaged the land, poisoning the soil and killing crops. Shinobi and civilians alike grew hungry, and when people grow hungry, they tend to steal. Home-invasion robberies in broad daylight became common, and the client had a family to protect and feed. But because he was a ninja deemed rogue for turning his back on the war as well as his own comrades, he didn't have the support of his Hidden village. So, out of desperation, the client killed my grandfather and made off with the goods.”

“How awful,” Naruto muttered, “losing your brother and then your husband a year later…”

Having lost almost his whole family and clan in one night, Sasuke could certainly relate to that pain.

Rina nodded and sat herself down at the table, no doubt already exhausted. Still, she continued. “Granny Yui was beside herself with anguish of course but, as a former kunoichi, she was no stranger to death and knew that war did not spare anyone. And so, she chose to raise my mother, Hana, as a healer who knew only how to save lives in a world that only took them.

For twelve years, Granny Yui buried her grief through work, keeping her hands busy by helping others in the hopes that saving their lives would make up for the deaths of her loved ones. Her generous work and the company of her kind daughter brought Yui some semblance of happiness, but the shadow of war was ever-present and loomed across the land. Everyday, the entire world waited with bated breath, wondering whose blood would be shed next… wondering who would live and who would die…

Finally, the day came when Yui was forced to take a gamble…”

_The early morning air was frigid enough that Yui could see her own breath fog up the space in front of her. Even so, the Land of Spring remained quiet and docile, predicting another sleepy morning. Heading towards the nearby lake, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled in the direction of the hut where her daughter was no doubt still lying in bed. The child had stayed up late the night before, reading bedtime stories instead of studying her pharmacognosy. But at thirteen years old, the girl was allowed to act her age while she still could._

_Shaking her head, Yui set her buckets aside once she reached the lake. She surveyed the glass surface of the water, so still as were the trees… How strange, she thought. Dawn crept over the green caps of the woods, soft shades of red and gold splitting through the branches, but even the birds were not chirping their usual ‘good morning’s to each other._

_She decided it was best to not dawdle here for too long, and set about filling the buckets with water. When her hand grazed the surface, she winced from the icy temperature of the water but dipped the bucket further to collect more. Brown eyes swept across the calm lake until they landed on a small, black mass clinging to the bank. Yui squinted at the—she gasped, dropping both buckets to rush over to the child._

_“Hey! Hey, are you all right?”_

_The girl lay face down, her thick white robes sodden and heavy on her thin frame. Her clothing was a bit too heavy for the Land of Spring’s usual warm weather, and Yui didn’t recognize her as one of the natives from the villages._

_Turning her over, she lightly smacked the girl’s pale cheek, urging her to awaken from her lethal slumber._

_“Hmm….”_

_“Hey! Wake up!”_

_“Hnngh… Wh-Who..?”_

_Yui grabbed the girl’s freezing hand, squeezing it for dear life and hoping to get the blood rushing. “My name is Yui! Yui Handa! Can you mo_ — _hey, don’t fall asleep!”_

_“Where… am I?”_

_“This is the Land of Spring. It’s all right, you’re safe now,” Yui added when she noticed the weapons pouch attached to the girl’s hip._

_Even without taking a peek inside, she knew the pouch was filled with an assortment of kunais and shurikens. In fact, she looked the same age Yui had been when she was a kunoichi thrown in the midst of a war she knew almost nothing about—just a little girl who had just started menstruating when she had already seen a whole battlefield soaked in blood. And yet, Yui frowned when she noticed this girl lacked a hitai-ate anywhere._

_“Where did you come from?” she murmured, scanning the girl’s white clothes for at least a clan symbol, but nothing._

_Slowly, the child raised a small, trembling hand, pointing upwards._

_Yui followed, the frown on her face deepening with confusion. “You came from... the sky?”_

_The girl nodded weakly, letting the hand fall limp to her side._

_“Hey! Stay awake!” Yui cried out, collecting the shivering child into her arms. She was horribly light and her knobbly joints pressed against Yui’s torso as she made to carry the girl back to the hut. The child merely groaned in response. “You’re gonna be okay! Just keep talking to me, all right? Hey, tell me your name, hm? What do I call you?”_

_"M-Mi… uh…" The girl rasped out._

_"Say that again?"_

_"My name…" Slowly, the girl raised her head, dark locks parting around her wan face. "My name is Mio," she said, turning her ice-blue eyes onto Yui._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I’m as eager as you all are to get to the SasuSaku reunion and start writing their scenes—trust me, I’m really excited for what I have in store for those lovebirds (hint: lots of angst)! Trust me, I have a vault of sugary sweet SasuSaku content stored for the end of this story, as well as some raunchy lemons 😳 However, I need to finish laying all the groundwork including themes, hints, foreshadowing and all that for this story first, so please bear with me!**
> 
> **I also apologize in advance just in case anyone got uncomfortable with the suicide scene. As you can see, I purposely choose not to use archive warnings for this fic because I feel it's a major spoiler for stuff that's not really graphic and/or are hardly mentioned. In other words: _READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL._**
> 
> **UPDATE: My family has tested positive for covid and, although it's still too early to determine if I've also been exposed (I likely have), updates _might_ be slow from now on depending on how serious the situation is.**


	7. Flowers of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rina’s story comes to an end, but Sasuke and his team are left with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I just wanna clarify that the way the flashback is written in 3rd Person _Limited_ is so that you guys, as the readers, have limited understanding of the truth/lore since I want to spoon-feed you it over the course of the story. I’m also trying to emulate the way the Naruto anime does its flashbacks. However, you will notice that Rina is summarizing some bits in 3rd Person _Omniscient_ when she needs to answer the boys’ questions. That’s just for the sake of explaining a bit of the character motives for you guys.**

“The child was a shinobi, but she didn’t say which clan or village she came from?” Kakashi queried, his onyx eyes lit with minimum surprise.

Sasuke, too, was intrigued.

Shinobi were known to be prideful warriors who bore some symbol of their village or clan somewhere on their attire. Those who chose to forgo such symbols on their clothes were rare and usually did so because they’d forsaken their people. Even Sasuke himself, he who’d come to learn of his great clan’s own arrogance through his older brother’s eyes, had never once considered forsaking his connection to his clan. Though many of his people had been led astray more often than not, Sasuke had never lost an ounce of pride in wearing the uchiwa fan on his clothes even after learning of his clan’s dark history.

Shinobi who bore no village or clan symbols—shinobi like Orochimaru—were dangerous enigmas.

Grabbing the pitcher of water sitting at the center of the table, Rina poured herself a glass. “According to my mother, Mio was a bit of a mystery. It took her a while to get her to open up and, even then, she hardly spoke of herself. But Granny Yui saw her younger self in this child and, wanting to take a chance on her, she took Mio under her wing.”

“She adopted her?” Sai asked for clarification.

“Something like that, but Yui also wouldn’t have stopped Mio from leaving if the girl had chosen to.” Rina took a sip from her glass. As she did so, Sasuke glimpsed the wrinkled brown patches of skin that peeked above the neckline of her robes. The scars disappeared back under her clothes when she lowered her chin. “On the other hand, my mother felt that this girl had overstayed her welcome. Hana and Yui were already struggling to make ends meet as healers who helped out of the goodness of their hearts rather than for business. Having another mouth to feed meant less food to go around.

It wasn’t just the food though. Yui was always busy tending to someone to afford much quality time with her own daughter, so Mio’s added presence left Hana feeling that she had even more competition for her mother’s attention. Though they were sibling apprentices to the same woman, Hana treated Mio more like a rival. She hated the girl at first—hated the cold look in Mio’s eyes. And the day came when she was proven right to fear that girl…”

_“I’ll be going on to deliver Tanaka-san’s medicine, so I’ll be back later in the afternoon,” Yui announced, glancing between the two girls reading on their cots as she drew her cloak around herself. The basket at her hip was ladened with jars of ointment, the pungent smell seeping out from beneath the thin cloth pulled over. “I’ve hung the sign outside the door in case anyone drops by then they’ll know to come back later. So you know what that means, right?”_

_Hana rolled her eyes behind her tome. “Don’t answer the door while you’re gone_ — _yes, I know. Mama, I’m thirteen_ — _not three.”_

_“Then you know to set a good example for Mio.” Her mother gave her a sharp look before slipping through the open door. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”_

_After the door was closed shut, Hana counted for sixty whole seconds before slipping her eyes to the girl reading a few feet away from her. Her nose scrunched up in distaste as she discreetly appraised the new girl over the top of her pages. Ebony locks had been raked back into a low ponytail but even that wasn’t enough to hide the frayed ends as if the girl_ — _Mio_ — _had taken a knife and aimlessly hacked at the ends. At least her eyes and cheeks didn’t look so sunken anymore, no doubt thanks to the food given to her at the cost of Hana’s own aching belly._

_As if sensing the heavy stare on her, blue eyes peeked over Mio’s own book and Hana immediately scowled when their gazes met._

_“I want to read that volume now,” Hana said, setting down the book she’d still been reading._

_Mio returned her attention to the book at hand, flipping to the next page._

_“Hey! Did you hear me? I said I want to read that book.”_

_A moment passed and then Mio flipped another page. “Yui-sensei told me to study this. I’ll give it to you when I’m done.”_

_Yui-sensei? Hana scoffed. “Well, your sensei is my mama. So, as her daughter, I get first dibs!”_

_“I’ll give it to you when I’m done,” Mio merely repeated._

_Who does this girl think she is?! Fuming silently from her corner, Hana crossed her arms when she realized there wasn’t much she could do about it but wait. She didn’t trust Mio to not pull a hidden knife on her if she dared to yank the tome out of the child’s hands. Though Hana was young, she was not stupid and had glimpsed the stash of blades her mother had dumped from the pouch the girl had carried. Still, Hana was not one to obey a little girl and wait patiently._

_“Hmph!” She stood up, snatching the empty wicker basket hanging by the mantel._

_“Where are you going?”_

_“To the lake! Away from you!”_

_“Yui-sensei said to not leave the house while she’s away.”_

_“Well, she’s not my sensei!” Hana retorted, letting the door bang open from the force of her push. She swiveled around on her heels to stick her tongue out, though the view was blocked by the girl’s book. Ugh!_

_The door slammed shut as Hana stomped her way down the steps, past her mother’s garden, and towards the lush forest to the side of the main road. At least there she could cool off her head. Staying in that hut, cramped inside with that girl made her feel all hotheaded._

_“Seriously, what’s Mama thinking taking that girl in!” Hana huffed, dropping her basket onto the bank._

_Hitching her skirt up by its side, she toed her sandals off before stepping into the lukewarm water of the lake. She left calm ripples in her wake as she took a few steps forward until the water was sloshing around her knees. Squinting into the water, she scanned the shore for the red kelp her mother would bring home to wrap fish in and serve on steamed bamboo leaves. Hana expected her mother to be furious for leaving the house like this but hopefully the fact she’d labored for this red kelp would save her from the punishment of weeding the garden._

_“Everything was perfect with just me and Mama,” she sighed to herself, hands full and wet with the sticky kelp after half an hour of picking._

_If only that new girl wasn’t around then Hana wouldn’t have to fight for her mom’s attention. It was bad enough that her mom spent more time with strangers and villagers alike, caring for her patients more than her own daughter. Now Hana had to deal with this new girl who seemed to be her mother’s ideal protégé. So annoying!_

_A full hour had passed when Hana’s back started to ache. The heat of the sun was beginning to wane as the late afternoon light crept below the treetops, reminding her that her mother would be arriving home in an hour or so. Straightening up, she wiped the sweat from her brow and exhaled. “All right, I think I got more than enough...”_

_She stilled upon noticing the extra pair of ripples clashing with the ones she made. Someone was standing behind her. Mio? The girl didn’t talk much, but it wouldn’t be like her to just come over to stare and say nothing._

_The forest remained silent, shivering as a strange breeze tickled their branches and tugged at her braid. The fine hair on the back of her neck crept up._

_Slowly, Hana turned around and gasped._

_Eight figures donning painted masks stood at the bank, their leader standing calmly atop of the lake’s surface. They each seemed like statues that had appeared out of thin air, and Hana would’ve mistaken them as such were it not for the ripples spreading out from the soles of the leader's sandals._

_He cocked his head inquisitively, pale blonde locks falling across the ears of his dog mask. “You’re not from the village,” he said, and Hana was shocked to hear how young he sounded. Someone in their late teens, she guessed._

_Her mother rarely received any shinobi patients as young as him; not many survived the terrors of war. But though she’d seen all sorts of shinobi who’d stumbled onto their doorsteps in need of her mother’s aid, she’d never seen those who concealed themselves with painted masks. Her heart constricted with terror at the sight of them._

_Burgundy eyes studied her through the mask’s slits. “You’re from the hut by the field.”_

_It sounded like a question, but Hana was too afraid to answer. Her silence must’ve been enough answer though because he peered over his shoulder to nod at his teammates._

_“You’re the healer everyone’s talking about?” he asked, and this time it did sound like a question rather than an observation. "Lookin' a little young there to be handling a business like that on your own."_

_"Oh, but weren't you seven when you made your first kill, Tora?" A woman behind him snickered. "She's gotta be twice that age. Some kids even make Jonin by then."_

_“She could be a trap,” another masked man commented._

_"So which is it, kid?" The masked leader asked. "You the healer? Or a killer? Cause you don't look like either to me."_

_“M-Ma…” Hana took a step back and he—Tora—took a step forward in response. And then two more. Like a predator stalking his prey. Her legs went numb on his fourth step and she fell back with a splash, the red kelp floating away now. “M-Mama,” she whimpered aloud._

_“Your mama’s the healer then?” Tora pressed her, voice strung tight with impatience now. “Take us to her. We’d like to ask her some questions about an… old friend of ours she might’ve run into recently. An old friend we’ve been looking for quite some time. Our village has been missing the guy, so we’d like to take him home and… heh, take good care of him.”_

_“Would you stop with the innuendos?” sighed the woman. “She’s old enough to understand the word ‘kill’ probably.”_

_“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hana managed to whisper out._

_The man chuckled, but it left chills running down Hana’s back. “Oh, I think you do. Word is, that lil’ hut over there is where all kinds of people pass through to get their owies fixed. Including shinobi,” he added quietly._

_But all Hana could do was shake her head. “N-No, I don’t know!”_

_“Don’t know or won’t tell us?”_

_With wide eyes, she watched him reach for the sword hilt peeking over his shoulder._

_“You know what? I know someone who’s got a really bad owie,” he said, prompting the other seven figures to laugh quietly as if he’d shared some sort of inside joke. His blade slid out with a low_ **_‘ssshh’_ ** _as he spoke. “Why don’t we go to that hut together before that owie gets worse?”_

_When she didn’t answer, he jerked his head and one of his teammates stepped forth, their sandals burning bright blue at the soles as she tread through the water's surface with ease. Hana shrank away, further into the lake's depths until the woman grabbed her by the hair to pull her out. She stood up on wobbly legs in an attempt to make an escape, but it was too late; the woman tangled her fingers through Hana’s locks._

_“Careful with her, Ana. She won’t be so useful without her head.”_

_The woman clucked in response to her leader's warning but didn’t loosen her hold._

_“No!” Hana shrieked, scratching at the gloved hand gripping her painfully by the roots. “No, please! I don’t—”_

**_SPLASH!_ **

_She sputtered through the water, wiping it from her eyes to stare at the upper half of Ana whose hand had managed to rip out a few dark pink locks from Hana’s head. The woman’s cat mask had plunked into the lake’s depths, revealing Ana’s face frozen with shock, her red-painted lips parted open in surprise. She remained staring at Hana as she floated. Something white peeked through the squishy red that spilled from where the woman had been cut clean through and Hana gagged upon realizing that it was a spine. The woman's lower half remained standing for a second before toppling over to join its upper half with a second splash._

_Several cries pierced through the silent forest, sending up a flock of birds as more of the masked figures went down under the sharp stream of water that sliced through them like butter. A small figure flickered in between Hana and the man, the both of them gaping at the little girl who held no weapon in her hands._

_“Mio?!”_

_“A shinobi!” The leader yelled, stabbing his blade forth._

_Hana screamed when the sword hit Mio point-blank in the chest. Instead of blood splattering out, however, shards of the man’s sword went flying in every direction as the tip of it shattered upon contact. The pieces rained down like diamond dewdrops, plopping into the lake water. Gawking at the young girl before her, Hana noticed the shimmering layer that seemed to coat Mio’s form like a sort of armor. It moved with her, fluid like water itself._

_A pale blue energy extended from Mio’s small hands, the energy shaping into something reminiscent of a blade. She cocked her head, ice blue eyes regarding the four figures surrounding them. “Anbu?”_

_Anbu? What’s that?_

_Three more blades glinted under the afternoon sun and suddenly everyone but Hana seemed to be moving at the speed of light. She could barely see what was happening, catching only brief flashes of the fight and hearing the clang of blades clashing._

_In the midst of it, something black zipped towards Hana and she squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the quick pain of death._

_“Earth Style: Mud Wall!”_

_The earth seized up beside Hana, a wall of it shooting up to block the incoming blade before it could stab her eye out. Before she could register what had happened, the air tickled her skin, humming with energy. Electricity shot up into the sky and someone—Mio—screamed._

_“Mio?!” Hana peeked around the wall, blanching at the sight of the girl kneeling atop of the water, long black locks freed from her messy ponytail and curtaining her nicked face._

_Two of the man’s subordinates stepped closer, each carrying a seal of sorts. Before they could touch Mio, her hands blurred together as she dropped all pretenses of having been incapacitated. Water speared out from beneath her, impaling the two masked ninjas, their blood pooling into the lake like ink. One of them let out a strangled gurgle before the spear of water retreated from their chest, leaving a gaping hole the size of Hana's arm._

_Panting, Mio turned her sights to the sole member and leader of the squad just as another crackle of electricity struck her head-on in the form of a white panther. She flew back, slamming against a tree, the trunk splintering from the impact._

_“Now I’ve got even more questions,” Tora muttered, cracking his knuckles that were now bleeding, matching the marks of blood that stained Mio’s white robes. "If you're a shinobi, where's your hitai-ate? What village are you from?"_

_"G-Get…" Fingernails dug into Hana's palms as she used the pain to force herself to move. "Get away from her!" she screamed, plunging a hand into the water at her feet._

_"Huh?" Tora stole a look over his shoulder, eyes widening behind the mask’s slits just in time to see the stone that cracked against his dog mask. He grunted, one hand touching where the rock dented his mask. "You better stay back, kid," he growled at Hana, "if you know what's good for you."_

_Even from afar, she could see the intensity of his burgundy gaze. She gulped but stuck her tongue out in defiance, blinking in surprise when she heard what seemed to have been a chuckle from him. Before she could register the sound of it, he was already turning back to Mio's unconscious form._

_He reached out but made a noise of surprise when Mio’s body suddenly disappeared with a **‘poof’**_ , leaving behind a log of wood in her place.

_“A substitution!”_

_There was a yell, and Hana followed Tora's gaze upwards where Mio was dropping down from the treetops. Tora’s hands moved together for a second, and then he opened his mouth, bright light filling the back of his throat. The bolt of lightning shot out from between his jaws at the same time Mio exploded into water, revealing herself as another clone and drenching the leader just as his lightning made contact. He let out a shrill cry, body locking up as his own lightning coursed through him._

_In the midst of the distraction, the water shifted behind him, warping into a shapeless mass before taking on Mio’s form. Her ebony locks clung to white cheeks as she puckered her mouth and spat out something that pierced the man’s nape._

_He collapsed without protest, pale blond locks burnt at the ends and his mask split in half now, revealing a youthful face only a few years older than the girls._

_“Mio!” Finding some strength in her legs, Hana dashed around the bank to get as close as she could to the surviving pair._

_The younger girl turned to Hana, blue eyes scanning her briefly. “Are you all right?”_

_“What… What was that?” Hana stared wide-eyed at the two ninjas before her. “Who is that? Wh-What’s going on?!”_

_“He’s a shinobi. I’m a shinobi. We fought.” Satisfied with her answer, Mio shrugged and went on to grab the man by his collar. “Let’s go.”_

_“Go?” Hana sputtered and she turned to survey the wrecked lake now muddled red and carrying halved corpses that floated along its shore. “Go where?!”_

_“Home.”_

_“With him?!”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Why?!”_

_“Answers,” Mio replied, dragging the man by his collar as she paved the way back to the main path._

_Knowing she wasn’t getting any answers of her own, Hana groaned aloud and stomped after her companion. Upon reaching the hut, she winced when Mio all but tossed Tora onto the table none too gently, his head banging against the solid oak wood. Although the man had been threatening her just earlier, the healer within her squirmed at the sight of seeing someone get hurt and she made a noise of protest when Mio started tying his limbs down. Her hands itched to take care of the cuts peeking through the shinobi leader’s trousers and sleeves._

_Her noise of protest raised into a gasp of indignation as Mio went on to slice Tora’s clothes away with two fingers blazing with that same bright blue energy from earlier at the lake._

_“Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!” Hana cried out when the trousers were pulled away after the vest and shirt were removed. At the corner of her eye, she caught a tuft of pale hair between the man’s legs and she clapped both hands over her eyes before daring to peek between her fingers._

_“I’m stripping him.”_

_“Yes, I can see that! Why?!”_

_“The body of a shinobi holds many secrets.” Mio raised a brow at her, completely indifferent to the nude shinobi laying less than a foot away from them. “What’s the matter? Haven’t you seen yourself naked before? When you bathe?”_

_The question was sincere_ — _not meant as a jest_ — _but Hana, still inexperienced of the world, turned a tomato red with ire and embarrassment._

_“Y-Yes, of course! But a na-naked man is completely different!”_

_“It’s not that different from a woman’s body.”_

_“Yes, it is!”_

_“You’ve never seen a naked man in your line of work? Not even as a cadaver?” Mio furrowed her brows at her. It was the closest thing to an expression different from her usual stoicism. “Aren’t you practicing to be a healer like your mother? If so, you’ll need to understand the anatomy and physiology of the human body, so you shouldn’t be so agitated by a bit of nudity.”_

_Still peeking between her fingers, Hana forced herself to keep her eyes above the man’s waist. His young face was easy on the eyes at least. “Mama always covers their groins with a cloth. To respect their privacy, I suppose.”_

_Mio sighed and smacked a hand against Tora’s abdomen. His sculpted muscles didn’t jiggle like the village florist’s stomach did when Hana had seen him come in for a nasty tummy ache. It looked like Mio had just knocked on a wall instead of flesh. “See that? Man or woman, a body is a body. At the end of the day, that's all it is. You’re just thinking too much about it. Besides, you won’t be blushing over someone’s genitals when you’re too busy trying to save their life.” She paused and raised the blue blade burning at her fingertips. "Or when you're dissecting them."_

_“I… I guess…” The anxiety in Hana’s chest lessened as she watched the girl’s blade disappear into thin air rather than near the man’s body again. Chewing her lip, she added, “But Mama never ties her patients down to the table!”_

_“This guy is black ops. He’s dangerous. Trust me, it's better to keep him naked and tied down so that he can't pull anything.”_

“Two pubescent girls strapping a naked young man to the table… Something doesn’t sound right with that,” Sai mused, rubbing his chin.

“None of that sounds right!” exclaimed Naruto, blushing a furious red.

But Rina laughed softly, shaking her head. “When you’re in the medical field, you see _everything_ ; way more than what you see on the battlefield. Trust me, you see some crazy stuff. A naked man or woman isn’t the worst of it and I’m sure Sakura-sensei has also become immune to the sight of naked patients.”

At those last words, all four shinobi went rigid, their faces paling with horror at the idea of…

Naruto’s head whipped towards Kakashi whose eyes had crinkled with a mix of shame hidden by a veil of wryness. “S-Sensei, has Sakura-chan seen all of my…?” He was too mortified to even finish the question.

“W-Well,” Sai pulled a tight smile, “better your life than your own dignity, Naruto.”

The blond man seemed to shrivel in his chair while Sasuke brows wrinkled together in discomfort. Sure, he’d had to strip his shirt off a number of times for Sakura, but that was back in their days as Genin. Thankfully, he’d never been so compromised to have to be stripped down to his barest necessities, all of which to be left to the mercy of the cherry blossom kunoichi. It didn’t take a genius to figure that complete nudity would leave any shinobi feeling at their most vulnerable. Whether it was with Team Kakashi or Team Taka, even he didn’t like to stay in the hot springs or bath for too long. And he certainly would rather die than be caught by the enemy in the bathroom with his pants down.

But thinking of Sakura’s healing touches… He could still remember during their Genin days the way her small fingers would be so gentle and warm on his skin—almost ticklish. The way her brows would furrow with worry, or her nose scrunching up in deep concentration as she tended to his wound.

His eyes fell down to where the stump of his arm remained hidden beneath the poncho.

“Well, the young man was certainly horrified when he awoke to see his current predicament,” Rina trailed off with a chuckle.

_"Y'know, he's… kinda cute,” Hana mumbled, poking Tora’s cheek while Mio inspected the ninja’s tongue with a pair of tongs._

_"You won't be saying that when he embeds a kunai in your heart the first chance he gets."_

_"A kunai?"_

_"A ninja tool. It's like a dagger… for shinobi."_

_Hana peeked over to the girl beside her. “And are you… one of them? A shinobi?”_

_Mio’s attention remained fixated on the pentagram seal beneath Tora’s tongue, but her glacial eyes dimmed for a moment as she considered the question. Ultimately, she said nothing, choosing to prod at the pentagram tattoo instead before sketching it into a notebook with a brush._

_After a terse silence accompanied by Mio dipping her brush into the inkpot every few seconds, Hana tried to continue the conversation, if only to stave off the awkwardness of studying a naked man who may end up as a cadaver sooner or later. "I, um… I guess I should say thanks. For saving my life back there."_

_Mio gave a half-shrug. "I was just looking for you so that I could hand over the book you wanted."_

_Hana blinked at her. "You finished it already?"_

_"I did tell you to wait for me."_

_"But you didn't have to go all the way to the lake for me. You could have just waited until I returned home."_

_"It seemed like you really wanted to read the book though, given how insistent you were earlier."_

_Remembering the way she’d behaved so immaturely earlier, Hana bowed her head low. "I'm sorry about that. I'd like to make it up to you if you’ll let me. How about…” She studied the tangled black locks hanging across Mio’s back. “How about I do your hair? Maybe braid it for you so that you can keep it out of the way? I could even teach you how to do it?"_

_"But my hair is…" Slowly, Mio raised a hand to tug at a fried bang sticking up from her temple. A shy warmth began to replace the paleness of her cheeks and she bit her lip, uncertain of the kind offer. “I don’t know…”_

_"If you treat it nicely, it can look really pretty! Don't you think?" Seeing the younger girl’s hesitation, Hana smiled and tucked back a stray strand from Mio’s dirt-streaked face. “I bet the village boys would stop teasing you too if they saw how pretty you actually are.”_

_"I don't know. I've been raised my whole life as a shinobi. Girlish things like braiding hair,” she said, one corner of her mouth tugging down, “they're foreign to me."_

_Hope sparked in Hana’s chest and, for the first time around this child, she felt a sisterly warmth towards her rather than the jealousy that’d been rotting inside. "I could teach you! I have some makeup and we could play around with your colors. After our studies, of course. Mama always says duty before pleasure so whenever we’re both free, then...” Realizing she was starting to ramble, she nodded to Mio. “Hey, what do they even teach you at, err, ninja school?"_

_"How to control our chakra and use it as a weapon to kill.” She’d answered so casually, but it left Hana shuddering as Mio turned the man over onto his front, his buttocks jiggling from the motion and his cheek flattening against the surface. Hana couldn’t help but giggle then and Mio briefly paused at the sound. “But sometimes we need to heal our comrades too,” she added._

_Hana hummed in contemplation at that. Observing the child’s knack for herbs, she’d always suspected that Mio had some background in the medical field. It was one of the reasons her mother had taken Mio on as an apprentice, and another reason why Hana had been so jealous of the girl’s aptitude in medicine._

_“So you’re a healer like Mama too then.”_

_“Not quite,” mumbled Mio. “My clan… they were famed in my land for their reputation as highly skilled medical-nin. They were valuable in the war until… they were wiped out."_

_"Wiped out? Why?" Hana tried to suppress the dozen questions that’d suddenly flooded her mind. This was the first time the girl had opened up about herself._

_"Usually, medical-nin stay in the sidelines as support, but my clan had special abilities_ — _a ‘kekkei genkai’_ — _that made them far more useful. So they were sent into the frontlines of the war to provide aid, but…"_

_"Oh, Mio...” Recognizing the sadness that glistened in the girl’s normally icy eyes, Hana touched a hand to her shoulder. “I'm sorry."_

_"That was the past.” Mio gave another half-hearted shrug, but the stoic mask she often wore had already begun to crack, revealing the traumatized child within. “It doesn't matter anymore. I'm a survivor now."_

_"Yeah, you sure showed those ninjas back there.” Hana tried for a smile to lighten the mood. She returned her attention to the ninja still tied to the table, her eyes landing on the thin metal poking out of his neck. While Mio busied herself disarming a device strapped to the man's wrist, Hana pinched the metal between her fingers and pulled it out for a closer inspection. “Hey, what was it you hit this Tora guy with anyway? It looks like one of Mama's acupuncture needles. She uses them on patients sometimes to help them relax or something like that."_

_"Those are senbon needles. I kneaded the chakra in me to create them on the spot. I didn't hit a vital spot though. I just hit the nerve to make him fall unconscious."_

_"So he's not dead?" A sigh of relief almost escaped Hana._

_"Not until I've interrogated him,” answered Mio, and the blue blade formed at her fingers extending another inch before she aimed it in between Tora’s shoulder blades._

_"Oh, uh…” Hana glanced at the thin metal she still held. “So what happens if I remove the needle?"_

_"He'll wake up."_

_"Like… now?" she squeaked out, noticing the man’s pale brows twitching._

_"What do you mean_ — _"_

_The table abruptly flipped over, knocking the girls to one side and Tora to the other. As the dust began to settle, the girls were still rubbing their aching heads when a yelp filled the docile hut._

_“What the_ — _where are my clothes?!” a voice demanded from the other side of the table._

_“What village are you from?” Mio volleyed back her own question, still rubbing the ink from her eyes._

_On her butt, Hana swept a hand across the floor, blindly searching for any weapon. She knew it was useless after seeing the Anbu leader fight at the lake, but better safe than sorry._

_“Listen, you brat_ — _”_

_A strong hand clamped down on Hana’s shoulder and she swung the first thing she’d managed to grab, screaming, "Pervert!"_

**_BANG!_ **

_As the dust finally cleared, Hana turned around to find Tora slumped over at her feet, his cheek now bearing a red mark from the pan she’d hit him with._

_"Oh, great,” she moaned, “now the naked ninja's on the floor!"_

_"Why did you pull out the needle?!"_

_“I thought he was dead!”_

_“I told you not until I’m done with him!”_

_“You kept talking about cadavers and corpses a-and naked people!”_

_“No wonder you take forever to read your books_ — _you have the attention span of a fish!”_

_Hana’s mouth flapped open and close at that. "W-Well, he's unconscious again so everything's fine, right?!"_

_"A cooking pot isn't enough to_ — _"_

_"Would you brats shut up?!” Faster than they’d expected, Tora leaped back like an angry cat, scowling at them, one hand rubbing the side of his bruising face and the other awkwardly cupping the apex of his hips to cover himself. “The hell did you do to me?! A-And who do you work for?!"_

_"He's alive?!"_

_"He's Anbu! You really think a cooking pot could kill a shinobi of his level?!"_

_“It was a pan!”_

_"Stop screaming already!" he yelled back, still cupping his cheek while glowering at his captors. “So damn annoying!”_

_"Kill him, Mio!” Hana squealed out, but then gasped and jerked a hand out to stop the other girl prowling towards the cornered man. “No, wait! Don't kill him_ — _Mama won't like that!"_

_"I’m gonna kill you, little girl!" he snarled at Mio, one hand raising to make a sign as a threat, his other hand still awkwardly covering his groin. Even after seeing him fight at the lake, it was hard for Hana to take him seriously in his current state. She made a noise that was a mix between a hysteric giggle and a terrified whimper, prompting Tora’s burgundy glare to flick over to her for a second, but most of his ire was directed towards Mio. “Give me my clothes back right now!”_

_"Clothes?” Something shifted in Mio’s throat as she narrowed her eyes at him, pained tears streaming through the ink staining her face. “You won't need them once I'm through with you!"_

_Seeing the way Mio’s throat moved reminded Hana of the spray of needles that had followed right after. She grabbed the girl’s sleeve, effectively stopping Mio in her tracks. "No! Mama always says no killing!"_

_But Mio cocked her head, a slow and sadistic grin spreading on her youthful face. "We'll just bury him in the backyard before Yui-sensei returns!"_

_“No! We’re…” Hana watched as Mio puckered her mouth once more. There was that cold look in the girl’s eyes again, lethal and cruel, and it almost froze Hana at the spot. She tugged Mio’s sleeve harder. “Stop it, Mio! We’re not killers!”_

_“Yes, I am,” the little girl murmured, sucking in a breath._

_“No, Mio, don’t hurt him! Sto_ — _”_

_Thin shards of that needle from earlier sprayed out of Mio’s mouth, thousands of them peppering Tora’s body and digging deep into his skin. She could barely see the needles with the naked eye, but she could clearly see the way they’d clung to Tora like he was a pin cushion._

**_POOF!_ ** _He disappeared in a cloud of smoke._

_Mio cursed. "A clone! He must’ve done it when the table got knocked over!"_

_Once again, Hana was relieved… Until something yanked her back by the tail of her braid. She cried out as she was tugged against a warm body, the sweaty skin of him sticking to her thin robes._

_Hana knew she should’ve been fearing for her life considering a small knife used for peeling fruit was now pressed to the column of her throat. But feeling the warmth of his hard body so close in proximity to hers prompted Hana’s face to scrunch in disgust instead. "Ew, the pervert's touching me!”_

_Tora growled in her ear. "Quit calling me a pervert when you guys are the ones who stripped me naked! I'm the one who feels violated here!"_

_"It's not like we were feeling you up, stupid pervert!"_

_Perhaps feeling a bit high from all the commotion and fear that’d filled her since this morning, Hana unleashed a bout of giggles upon hearing Mio call the Anbu leader by his new namesake._

_"Oh yeah? I swear I could feel hands all over me! Now tell me what clan are you from!"_

_"No, we were just going to…” Mio’s lips twisted in thought, “dissect you?"_

_"Oh yeah, like that's better, Mio!" Hana scowled, sure that the man would definitely kill them for that now. Outside, the wind began to howl quietly despite the clear skies, but she was more distracted by something pressing against her back. "Don’t stand so close to me, you pervert!"_

“Is there any significance to this… scene?” Sasuke interjected a bit hesitantly.

The story was starting to sound ridiculous now, although he knew it’d be rude to say so.

Rina’s brows shot up before she flashed an amused smile at him as if silently telling him not to interrupt her at the good part. “Well, you did say not to leave out any details!”

He suppressed a groan at that, but Naruto made his loud and clear.

“What does this have to do with the hut though? Where’s the ‘bad history’?” The sunny-haired shinobi asked, scratching his head in befuddlement. His face twisted into a faint grimace as he remarked, “Don’t tell me this gets all _perverted_ or something!”

The calm smile remained on Rina’s lips as she leaned her cheek against the hand she’d propped on the table. “Any decent story needs some development in between each major plot point. That way, you’ll understand more at the end of it all. But if you really want me to just get straight to the ending—”

“No!” Kakashi exclaimed, prompting Naruto to pull a face at him. At some point, he’d moved into a more forward-sitting position, far more intrigued by Rina’s story than the other boys. Grey eyes crinkled appeasingly. “Don’t mind, Naruto. He can be a bit impatient when it comes to time-sensitive missions. Please, do go on.”

With a quiet sigh, Sasuke turned his sight to the floor-length view of the snow-capped woods as Rina continued.

_"Both of you shut up! Now, if I don’t get me some damn clothes first, then I’ll…” Burgundy eyes glazed over as Tora suddenly loosened his grip on Hana’s braid before dropping to the floor for the third time today._

_The wind stopped howling._

_"Hana Handa.” Hana stiffened, slowly turning to the now open doorway where a woman was glaring at her, a flute pressed to the full lips that had pulled back into a scowl. “Why are you fighting a naked man in my hut?!"_

_"W-Welcome home, Mama!"_

_Hazel brown eyes flicked to the split dog mask Mio had deemed to bring with them, both pieces having fallen to the floor in the midst of the scuffle. "Hana, do you have any idea what you've done?!" A vein seemed to be throbbing on Yui’s temple._

_"It was me.” Mio stepped forward, still blinking through the ink splotched across her face. “I thought he was an enemy, so I attacked him."_

_"But she was just trying to protect me!" Hana tried to defend her._

_"You put him under genjutsu…” muttered Mio, eyeing the unconscious man. “You're a shinobi too, Sensei?"_

_Yui’s lips tightened and then she shook her head, closing the door as she stepped inside. "We'll talk about that later. Where are his clothes?" she demanded, crossing her arms and tapping out an impatient staccato with her foot._

_“I had to cut them off,” answered Mio. "I was going to kill him later anyway. It's not like a dead man needs clothes."_

_"Kill him?!” Yui snapped, eyes rounding in anger and disappointment. She stabbed a finger towards a corner. “Hana, go open that storage trunk. There are men's clothes in there that should fit this young man. Mio, you're going to help me tend to him."_

_While Hana hurried off to scavenge some clothes for Tora, Mio remained rooted to the floor, frowning as she watched Yui fix the table back in place before checking on the young man. "Why are we helping him? He's a shinobi and he attacked your daughter."_

_"Did he, Hana?" Yui asked._

_"Well, not… exactly. His teammate grabbed my hair—"_

_"If he wanted to attack you, Hana, he would have.” Grabbing a bucket of water, Yui dipped a clean rag in it before wiping it to Mio’s face. The ink stained the white rag black as she spoke, still giving her daughter a hard, disapproving look. “And if he wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me. If someone of his level had gone all out, at least one of you two would be dead by now, especially if his intentions were truly as malicious as you believe. What he was doing was simply an intimidation tactic."_

_"Mama, how do you know—"_

_"What about me?” Mio cut in, and Hana noticed that her normally quiet voice was laced with anger. “He hurt me."_

_Yui turned to the man still slumped on the floor. Gesturing for Mio to help her, they dragged him over to one of the cots meant for patients. Hana, keeping one hand over her eyes, blindly fumbled her way over to them with the spare set of clothes in hand. "You said you attacked him. Was it because he attacked you first?"_

_"N-No,” Mio faltered. “But I thought… he was a bad guy."_

_Sighing, Yui turned to the girl, her stern expression now replaced with something more gentle and even… sad. "Perhaps he thought the same with you as well. If you attacked him first, it would only be natural for him to defend himself. If you resort to fists firsts instead of words, then of course he would jump to conclusions as well."_

_"But—"_

_"I helped you when you needed it. I didn't know who you were or if you would have killed me after, but I chose to help you anyway, Mio. And I choose to help this man too."_

_"But why?! He's a killer! And I…” She fisted the white skirt of her robes. “Why help people like him? People like… me,” she added in a whisper._

_"Because he needs it… just as you need it."_

_Brown eyes softened with sympathy and Yui beckoned for Mio to come over. Taking the girl’s small hand in her own, she guided it to the man’s chest, letting Mio feel the peaceful beat of his heart against her palm._

**_Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp… Ba-dmp..._ **

_“Can you feel that? That's the sound of someone's life in the palm of your hand. It seems fragile like this, right? If you were to touch your hand to your chest and feel your own heartbeat, wouldn't you agree?"_

_With her free hand, Mio did just that. Her heartbeat resounded calmly but strong against her palm. "I suppose..."_

_"All life is precious, Mio. Just as we feel pain and suffering, so do others. What we choose to do with that pain determines life." Brushing back her bangs, Yui gazed mournfully at the man's bloody knuckles. "I know how tempting it is to have others feel the same pain we do but, if we all give in to our hatred and anger, this world will soon cease to exist and so would the meaning of life. Do you understand?”_

_“I think so, Sensei.”_

_Yui cocked her head towards her. “Tell me, child, for what reason do you live?"_

_"... I was once told that death is the one thing that makes all shinobi equal in battle," murmured Mio. She glanced at Tora's broken dog mask by her feet. "I… I only lived to fight…. To survive. That was the reason for my birth. That was… the sole purpose of my existence."_

_"You are not a weapon of war, Mio," Yui said, grasping the girl's chin with a maternal touch. "You are a human being. We were born to live—not to merely survive or take the lives of others."_

_"But, Sensei, all I know is how to hurt people."_

_Yui paused and then turned to survey the mess littering the room. She lingered on the thin pieces of metal scattered across the floorboards, the needles glinting under the sunlight that poured through the window. "I see the senbon on the floor… You were a medical-nin in your home country, weren’t you?”_

_Mio nodded. “Yes, but… my medical practice and knowledge of the human body were weaponized. Most of the time, my medical ninjutsu was used to heal those I had to keep just barely alive for further interrogation. That was my role as a medical-nin: exploiting the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the human body.”_

_Yui smiled sadly at her. “My mother was also the medical-nin of her team. I wish I’d followed in her footsteps, but then she fell in battle… I would’ve died in the war too if I’d stayed…”_

_“So you are a shinobi, Sensei.”_

_“I was, yes… but I wish I’d never been,” Yui replied, standing up to nab a stone mortar, grabbing a pinch of the dried herbs from one of the baskets by the mantel on her way back. She shoved the bowl along with its pestle into Mio’s lap. “Give it to Hana when you’re done so that she can fix up a concoction for him.”_

_“But I can heal him using my medical nin—”_

_“No ninjutsu in this house.” Yui shook her head. Before the girl could inquire as to why, the older woman heaved a sigh and the light wrinkles around her eyes seemed to deepen as she spoke. “The First Great Ninja War traumatized many people and left scars in the hearts of the survivors. During this time of strife, people associate ninjutsu with death and destruction. If any of our patients see you using chakra, there’s no telling what might happen when word of mouth spreads… Word of us taking care of passing shinobi. Others may think we’re aiding a particular group—or worse… that we are shinobi. Either way, they—especially other shinobi—will think of us as a threat. It may not matter if we’ve helped them before; shinobi are conditioned by war to treat outsiders as their enemy.”_

_“Is that why Tora asked what clan or village I’m from?” Mio squinted at the young man at her side._

_Yui followed her gaze. “Most likely, yes.”_

_“What if you’re wrong about him, Yui-sensei? What if he tries to kill us once he wakes up?”_

_“He won’t.”_

_“But how can you tell?”_

_“Because,” Yui spoke quietly, “I know he’s also tired of the needless bloodshed. Just like you and I, he’s tired of war too.”_

_“What about the ones who like bloodshed?” Mio eventually asked. “The ones who thrive in battle? How can you expect me to do nothing if not kill them in self-defense?”_

_Yui’s hands wandered to the flute hanging around her neck, her fingers stroking down the length of the wood as she contemplated the question. “I will teach you how,” she answered, gripping the flute with serious determination. "But if I am to train you, then you must first promise me that you must never use my teachings for malevolent intentions. And more importantly, you must promise to never take the life of another person no matter what they do to you. Hate them as much as you want, but never let that hatred rule over you. Do you understand, Mio? Can you keep a promise like that for the rest of your life?"_

_The woman offered the girl her hand, holding out her pinky finger._

_Slowly, Mio wrapped her pinky with Yui's. "I promise... Yui-sensei."_

“And then what happened?” Kakashi asked, eyes wide as he sat in bed, absolutely riveted by the story. “Did Tora kill them or not?”

“Of course not.” Rina waved a dismissive hand. “When Tora awoke, he initially thought the herbal concoction Hana made for him was some sort of truth serum to get him to spill his secrets. But Yui knocked some sense into him and, after a nice meal of rabbit stew with the girls, he confessed that he was chasing a rogue shinobi from his village. The guy had been selling intel to other nations and Tora had been tasked with bringing him in—dead or alive. Thankfully, Yui had never met the guy and had nothing to offer Tora but some food and a few days of rest to clear the bad air between them."

“But what of his comrades?” Sai seemed a bit baffled by the unexpected turn of events. “Didn’t he bear some hatred towards Mio for killing his team?”

Shaking her head, Rina explained, “Tora understood that the fault for their deaths truly lied with him. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, but he knew Mio was only defending her friend, so he bore no ill will towards her nor did he hold her responsible... Because Tora—as Yui had guessed—was truly a good boy at heart. Unfortunately, war brings out the worst in people, but the kindness and generosity Yui and the girls showed him left an impact on the young man. He’d never met such compassionate strangers before in his line of work, and their compassion was the key to unlocking the compassion in his own heart.”

_Hana stared at the hollowed piece of wood in her hands. “You made me a flute?”_

_“Well, yeah…” Tora said, scratching his cheek to hide the flush of his cheeks. He seemed embarrassed by his crude handiwork, but mumbled, “I didn’t have anything to give you as thanks for… y’know, taking care of me these past few days.”_

_She tipped a brow at him. “Even though Mama had you weed the whole garden as payback?”_

_Tora grimaced, rubbing his back absentmindedly. “Well, besides that. Also, you seemed to enjoy listening to your mother play, so I thought…”_

_Noticing his bandaged fingertips, no doubt covering the cuts he got from carving the flute, Hana couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s thoughtful of you, Tora. I’m happy. This is the first time someone from the outside has ever given me a gift let alone thanked me.”_

_“Someone from the outside?”_

_This time, it was Hana’s turn to flush at the cheeks. “I-I don’t get out much. Mama says it’s dangerous during this time. You know, because of the war and all that.”_

_“Oh…” Tora brushed back his pale blond hair, bumping the fixed dog mask strapped aside his face. His burgundy stare darkened with shame as the memory of their first meeting seemed to arise in both their minds. He coughed. “Well, after the war, if I’m still alive by then… I could drop by and, um, act as your bodyguard.”_

_“My bodyguard?”_

_“So that you can travel the world,” he said. “It’d be free of charge. To properly apologize for what I did to you and your friend at the lake. I didn't realize how much this war has turned me into a monster."_

_She frowned. "I see no monster before me. All I see is a boy named Tora, and I've come to realize over the past few days, watching him wrestle with the weeds, that he's not so scary as I once thought. Rather, he's a bit of a dork."_

_A slow, toothy grin spread across his cheeks, brightening his wine-red eyes with mirth. " Dork, huh? Better than a pervert, I suppose. Still, I'd like to thank you for sparing my life when you could’ve finished me off with that cooking pot and then—what did your sister suggest?—bury me in the backyard?” Tora finished saying, pressing his lips together to suppress a teasing smirk._

_“It was a pan,” Hana corrected him, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “And I wouldn’t dare ruin the garden just to bury you.”_

_“Right, well,” Tora chuckled, “on second thought, maybe I should make you my bodyguard. If you were from my village, you’d make a fine kunoichi, with or without your frying pan.”_

_Hana jerked back at that last comment, clutching the flute tight between her small hands. “Oh, no! I-I could never kill someone.”_

_She winced as soon as she said those words, the implication hanging awkwardly between them._

_His amused gaze turned pensive and he peered down at his gloved hands, nodding slowly. “Yeah, you’re much too gentle-hearted for that.”_

_Hana stared at him, her hands fidgeting with her apron as she tried to think of something to stall him. She wanted to talk to him more. Hear his other stories of perilous adventure. He was like a breath of fresh air in the stifling confines of this small hut. “Must you go, Tora?” she asked, lowering her gaze to his gloved hands out of shyness._

_She missed the remorse that had passed through his face before he schooled it into a good-humored smile._

_“Duty calls and my village will send shinobi to look for me if I don’t return soon.” He paused, eyeing his flute necklace hanging over her chest. “If you learn to play a song on that, then maybe I’ll swing by to listen.”_

_He was offering her a chance to give him an incentive to visit. At least one more time._

_She touched the flute around her neck. “Promise?”_

_“I promise, Hana.” His voice had dropped into a soft—almost affectionate—whisper when he spoke her name._

_Worrying at her lip, she perked up and slipped past him towards the front yard. Tora gave her back a quizzical look as she rummaged through the various plants in search of something in particular. When Hana returned to him, she carefully pressed something tiny into his palm, biting back an innocent smile that had yet to be tainted by the horrors of war._

_“What’s this?” he asked, blinking at the sight of the halved clover in his hand._

_“There’s a saying in the Land of Spring,” she began. “When you give someone half of a four-leaf clover and then keep the other half, it’s a promise that those two people will one day meet again. So whenever you’re hurt and need some herbs or… or just wanna drop by on your vacation…” Hearing Mio clear her throat obnoxiously loud from the kitchen, Hana’s next few words came out in a rushed breath, “Let’s meet again, Tora!”_

“And did they?!” Kakashi asked in a giddy voice usually reserved for whenever he was trying to persuade some legal-of-age ninja to check out the _Icha Icha_ series.

Rina rolled her eyes, smiling wryly. “Oh yes, they did meet again. Over, and over, and over, and over again. Countless times over the next four years. Tora always found some excuse to drop by the Land of Spring to see Hana, and she was ecstatic every time he returned with some trinket for her that he’d picked up on his missions. Tokens that offered her glimpses of the world beyond that hut. And while Hana was busy falling in love with adventure and romance, Mio was busy studying, practicing, and—at that time—also learning how to splice flowers. It didn’t take long for that child to surpass the older sibling and, eventually, her own master.”

_“See, Mio? It’s growing beautifully in the soil. You did well with the grafting,” Yui said, the crows feet by her eyes deepening with her smile._

_Mio sketched the budding leaves poking from the dark soil of the garden, labeling the anatomy of the hybrid flower she’d spent the better half of the month taking care of. “And you’re sure this one will survive the cold temperatures, Yui-sensei? Even in the winter?”_

_“Oh yes, your Bellbloom is going to be a tough plant, almost like a desert rose except poisonous and white. So when you extract the seeds, do make sure to keep an eye on the amount used. Do you remember the rule of thumb for when to use a poison like this?”_

_Holding back the urge to roll her eyes, Mio answered, “When you need to overcompensate to reestablish homeostasis. Yui-sensei, I’m not going to use it to kill anyone.”_

_“But you could accidentally,” the woman replied, wagging a stern finger. “One dose is harmless in that it only stimulates the body to produce more antioxidants. But too much in your dosage can cause excessive oxidants and that can cause serious, irreparable harm to the body. Just as a little of a bad thing can be good, too much of a good thing can also be bad.”_

_“I know, Yui-sensei, I’ll be careful.” Mio couldn’t help but smirk. “I think you should be explaining this to Hana-chan anyway.”_

_Yui’s brows pinched in response and she raised her head, looking side to side in search of the girl in question. “Where is your sister anyway? She and Tora are taking way too long buying the supplies.”_

_“I’ll go look for them,” Mio huffed, dusting the loose dirt from the apron of her skirt as she stood up._

_With her master dismissing her with a wave, she set off in the direction of Hanabana village, avoiding the main road to enjoy the feel of spring’s fresh blossoms tickling her toes. The air was crisp today, the sky clear and sunny as it had been this past month or so. She had a good feeling for some reason, and it bubbled warm in her belly. Or perhaps it was the sake she’d snuck from Hana this morning… or one of the village boys giving her a flirtatious smile. There was something wonderful that had happened lately, but she couldn’t put a finger on it._

_“Tora…” A sweet voice sighed out._

_Of course they’re making out again. Mio released a soft sigh of exasperation._

_In the distance, she spotted two figures laying amongst the field of flowers: Hana on her back with Tora on top of her. The Anbu leader’s dog mask was lifted to rest atop his fluff of blond hair so that he could meet Hana’s lips with his own. Her sister giggled when Tora broke away to lay a necklace of kisses across the swell of her breast, the front of her robes loosened just enough for him to brand her skin with his lips._

_Raising two fingers to her smirking mouth, Mio was about to scare the two lovebirds with a sharp whistle when a particularly loud moan made her falter. It was then she noticed how their hips were pressed together with Tora gently rolling against Hana. His half of the clover that Hana had gifted to him years ago dangled from his throat in the form of a necklace, swinging like a pendulum with every thrust of his hips._

_“Hana,” Tora grunted in between pants, “I—love—you..!"_

_"Ahn! T-Tora!"_

_Mio gagged and then pivoted around to hurry away, her face burning hotter and hotter with every strained moan resounding over her shoulder._

"I knew it! This is something straight out of an _Icha Icha_ novel," Naruto exclaimed, making a gagged face of his own.

"Ohohoho!" Kakashi leaned forward even more. "What a plot twist!"

_“So did you find them?” Yui asked when her apprentice returned._

_“Yeah...” Sitting herself at the table, Mio started sifting through the pile of herbs to organize them. “Actually, the store ran out of Figwood, so Hana took Tora to the hills to go pick some themselves. I think they’re almost done...”_

_She hoped they were._

_Much to her chagrin, it took almost an hour for Hana and Tora to return from their ‘errand’ and Mio had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing when she took in the bits of leaves still clinging to the couple’s hair despite their obvious attempts to fix themselves. When Yui instructed Tora to chop some wood, Mio took the chance to grab her sister by the hand and lead her to the lake under the impression that they were fetching some water._

_“You’re incorrigible,” she said, plucking the petals that’d nestled deep into Hana’s dark pink braid._

_“I can’t help it,” Hana sighed, cheeks still flushed with happiness and the afterglow of spending some intimate time with her beloved ninja. “I only get to see Tora every few weeks. He’s always busy with those ninja missions.”_

_“And you two go at it like rabbits every time he visits. At this rate, he might very well fall in love with you,” Mio said, holding back a sly smile from following her implication of what she’d accidentally overheard at the field._

_“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”_

_“It is because if you dump him, he might stick a kunai in your heart.”_

_Instead of teasing back, however, Hana merely gave a gentle smile as pink dusted her cheeks. “I’ve already given Tora my heart though. Piece by piece, over the years since we met at this lake… I’ve fallen in love with him, Mio-chan,” she sighed. “I love Tora so much, sometimes I think my heart just might burst when he touches me… or even just looks at me. When he's away on a mission, he's all I can think about."_

_"No wonder the songs you play on the flute are always so sad and full of yearning." Holding back a snicker, Mio added, “And all this time, I thought you were just in it for the mindblowing sex.”_

_“M-Mio-chan!” Her sister looked scandalized._

_“What? His hands must be quite skilled with more than just kunais and blades if you like having them all over you. Or don’t tell me it was truly love at first sight?” Mio smirked at her. “Because I vividly remember you almost peeing yourself and him with his sword unsheathed_ — _and by ‘sword’ I mean his actual tantō, not his_ —”

_“That was then! This is now! Besides, he already apologized for the way we first met.”_

_“And for Tora, instead of love at first sight, maybe it was love at first pan to the face?” Mio let out a giggle, half-serious over the notion that the Anbu leader had unknowingly started to fall in love with the girl who’d knocked him out with just a pan._

_“Ugh, you are the one that’s incorrigible,” Hana said, rolling her eyes. “You would understand, too, once you fall in love.”_

_“I’ll understand what? What it’s like to have secret trysts among the flowers with my ninja boyfriend?”_

_The pink of Hana’s cheeks bloomed into full red embarrassment, but then she snorted. “You have no reason to be envious of me when the village boys flirt with you every time you pass through. They see a pretty girl and act like a puppy in love, eager to do all sorts of tricks to get her attention. And you love to string them along.”_

_Mio blushed, remembering this morning how one of them had offered to carry her purchases, his grin coquettish and prompting her to return with a coy smile of her own. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_“And I don’t know why a beauty like you pretends otherwise.” Twisting around, Hana cupped Mio’s cheeks firmly to shake the girl out of her shell. “I see you flirt back with some of those boys, but you never take their offers seriously… Why?”_

_Mio shrugged, trying not to squirm under her sister’s scrutiny. “I’m just not serious about them. That’s all.”_

_Hana gave her a contemplative look, slowly frowning in concern. “No, it’s because you’re too afraid to fall in love, isn't it? You’re afraid of the world and its people. You’re afraid of the pain of losing something precious to you now that you have something worth living for. You’re so afraid of love that you stay cooped up in that hut when the world outside is so vast and beautiful.” She turned around, eyeing the blue, sunny sky with the expression of a girl truly, deeply in love. "The bonds of love come in all shapes and sizes, you know. You've only been with us for four years, so you're still learning. But that's why you shouldn't live your whole life in that hut; you need to go out and experience all kinds of love with others."_

_"Well, I'm never going to fall in love. I'm okay with just you and Yui-sensei; you two are the closest thing I have to a family. A boyfriend isn't necessary for that."_

_"Falling in love isn't exactly something you can decide on. The heart wants what it wants, Mio-chan, no matter how painful it might be."_

_“Whatever. Anyway, what’s wrong with staying inside the hut?” Mio mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed now. She started to braid Hana’s hair, taking some daises by their feet to weave into the pink locks. “Yui-sensei said that hut is a beacon of hope and safety for everyone. Someone needs to stay there. Besides, you stay in that hut too... With me and Yui-sensei.”_

_“I don’t intend to stay in that hut for the rest of my life though.”_

_Mio’s hands stilled against her sister’s hair. “What do you mean by that? A-Are you ill or something?”_

_Shaking her head, Hana giggled. She laced her hands together, stretching her arms out, unable to contain her excitement. “It’s not like that! Actually, Tora and I…”_

“A wedding?” Kakashi chuckled gleefully. His gaze, normally lazy and apathetic, had brightened at the sudden—and romantic—turn of events that had spiraled between Hana and Tora.

Sasuke thought the guy was enjoying this a bit too much.

Ironically, even Sai and Naruto’s expressions of boredom had soon morphed into one of bashful interest.

“Actually, yes,” Rina nodded. “But more importantly, in celebration of the peace treaty that the five great nations had finally ratified after so long. It officially signaled the end of the first war. Everyone was ecstatic, especially Hana because that meant Tora was finally able to retire as both an Anbu and a shinobi. He hung up his hitai-ate so that he could marry her that year. And then, a couple of months later, I was born!”

Everyone gaped at the healer as she continued smiling gaily at them. Recovering first, Sasuke asked, “Your father was…”

“A-And your mother…” Naruto stammered.

“I did tell you that I was born and raised in that house for some time,” said Rina, seemingly unperturbed by the notion that her parents had started out as enemies before ending up as lovers. Her smile lessened, however, as she continued. “But I didn’t really get a chance to know my father. He died when I was only a few years old. Most of what I know about the hut… about Papa and Granny Yui… it was passed down to me from Mama.”

“But if Tora retired as a shinobi to live a married life with your mother, then how did he die so young?” asked Sai.

The remnants of Rina’s smile from earlier fell away completely. “He died protecting Mama and me from a squad of shinobi raiding the fields for medicinal herbs. I was barely four years old at the time, so I don’t even remember what happened, but Mama told me I was crying so hard that the skies started to cry with me too.”

_The night sky boomed with thunder at the same time the door to the hut slammed open, a slate of rain spilling through and extinguishing all the candles in the house, save for the fireplace, its flames licking at the cold air._

_Mio turned to the figure at the threshold, almost dropping her mortar at the sight of her soaked sister panting and sobbing, hysterical over something. Something—Mio didn’t know what, exactly—but the lack of Tora who was usually found towering protectively over Hana’s shoulder was telling enough. Not to mention the way Hana was bawling, gripping her half-clover necklace desperately. A broken piece of wood hung off it—the remnants of Tora’s flute._

_“Hana-chan, what happened?!”_

_The older girl went on to babble incoherently and Mio grasped her stiff shoulder, assessing her for any injuries first. Her cloak was shredded and it took Mio a second to recognize the smaller form shivering and clutching tightly to her mother beneath the cloak. Kneeling down, she nudged aside the cloak to check on the child staring wide-eyed into space. “Rina-chan, tell me what happened,” Mio asked as calmly as she could._

_The girl shook her head slowly, still not meeting the young healer’s gaze._

_“T-Tora,” Hana whispered, finally breaking her string of gibberish. She fell down to her knees, gripping the front of Mio’s robes, brown eyes blown wide with terror. “Please… h-help him!!”_

_“Tell me where he is,” Mio said, already grasping the situation despite the lack of details. “How many are there?”_

_“Over a dozen… A-At the edge of the woods.” Her sister blubbered through tears and snot. “He stayed back to give us a chance to escape… to run! But there’s too many for him!”_

_“Rina,” Mio said, taking the little girl aside and draping a blanket over her shoulders. “I need you to stay here and look after the house for me, okay? Don’t open the door for anyone else. If your Mama and I don’t come back tonight, Yui-sensei should be returning tomorrow morning from her delivery. All right?” When the child nodded, Mio ushered her to the cots before turning back to face her adopted sister. “Hana-chan, take me there.”_

“But by then, it was too late,” Rina said softly, tracing the rim of her glass with a pinky finger. “There were three squads of shinobi, each of rival nations. It was an utter coincidence and sheer misfortune that they all happened to run into each other on the same field with the same goal in mind: medicinal herbs.

The Land of Spring was neutral ground, and Tora had tried to diffuse the situation, explaining everyone could share the supplies and so there was no need to quarrel over it. But by trying to please everyone, he failed to please anyone, and it didn’t take long for the three squads to come to blows with each other. With his wife and little daughter caught in the crossfire, Tora fought to protect them. _That_ , my father succeeded, but at the cost of his life.”

_“Don’t just stand there—help him!” Hana screamed at her, cradling Tora’s limp body against her breast in an attempt to shelter him from the rage of the storm. But she could do nothing to shield him from the consequences of war and hatred. She could do nothing to keep what little life he still clung to from seeping away in a river of red that washed across the flowers, mixing with the mud and rain._

_Mio stared at the deep lacerations all over the former Anbu’s body, kunais and shurikens decorating his front and back. It was a miracle his handsome, young face had been spared, but likely because his opponents had all been aiming for his vital spots instead._

_“Mio, please!” Hana screamed through the torrent of rain pounding them. “Y-You were one of those me-medical ninjas, right? You can heal him with your bare hands—I know you can!”_

_Watching Tora’s chest rise and fall with difficulty, she met his burgundy gaze, the wine red color so dim and dark like the blood pooling with the mud. Even though he had no strength left to shake his head, Mio understood that look in his eyes. That look he was giving her... She’d seen it many times before on the battlefield as a child._

_Slowly, she met her sister’s pleading face. “It’s too late, Hana-chan. I’m sorry...”_

_But the woman shook her head in denial, dark pink locks flicking blood and water around. “Wh-What do you mean it’s… No! No, it’s not too late! Save him, Mio! Please—”_

_“Hana,” Tora rasped out, blinking through the haze of death to peer at his wife._

_His hand moved sluggishly to cup her cheek, a calloused thumb from his years as an Anbu shinobi stroked the blood and tears away from her white skin. He smiled dazedly and it reminded Mio of the many times she’d catch him and Hana sipping sake behind the hut during their earlier years when the couple were still in the process of falling in love together. Yui had found out when Hana came back in giggling too loudly and prancing around the floor, trying to make Tora dance with her. The Anbu leader had been given a stern lecture from his future mother-in-law about sneaking alcohol to her underage daughter. He’d been called a bad influence for Hana, but Yui had also understood how happy he made the girl._

_“My flowers,” Tora murmured, the light in his eyes fading, but not the love. “My Hana… and Rina…”_

_His hand splashed against the pool of blood and mud a moment later, and the sky continued to pour angry tears as his young wife screamed for him._

“Having known nothing but love all her life, that was the first time that my mother experienced the full terrors of war,” Rina explained. “Hatred and grief filled her… _blinded_ her. And though Tora had managed to kill twelve Jonin-level shinobi that night, three of them had survived and escaped, and my mother was desperate for vengeance. Even though she knew nothing of the world of shinobi, she didn’t let that stop her from filling syringes with poison and arming herself with kitchen knives. She wanted to avenge Papa’s death.”

“But that’s suicide!” Naruto exclaimed. “A-And what about _you,_ her daughter? She couldn’t just throw her life away!”

“Yes, and Granny Yui told her so.” The healer blew a sigh of grievance. “But my mother didn’t care. At the time, Hana was too full of rage and thirsty for vengeance. Knowing this, Granny Yui stole into the night and went after the three shinobi herself, if only to keep her daughter—her daughter with such an innocent and gentle heart now tainted by war—from destroying herself.”

“And did she succeed?”

Rina shook her head. “Not entirely. Granny Yui killed two of the shinobi, but the third one got her. Upon hearing news of her mother’s death, Hana spiraled deeper into depression and tried to commit suicide. I don’t know where I was or what I was doing when it happened, but I’m glad I don’t remember... I did hear that she tried to hang herself the same way Isamu did, but Mio was there to intervene and save her sister. And though she knew it would not heal Hana’s broken heart, Mio hunted down the third shinobi to fully avenge Tora and Yui’s deaths. She had taken a vow to never kill another human as Yui’s apprentice… to use her hands to save lives—not take them. But on that night, Mio was forced to break that vow.

It should have broken her in return, but she still had a family to take care of. She had Mama and me move to Yukigakure where it was safer behind the village walls and security rather than out in the open. Mama didn’t want to leave Mio alone in that hut, but she ultimately consented to move out for my safety.”

“Why didn’t Mio just move to Yukigakure with you two?” Kakashi asked.

“Because she still desired to follow Yui-sensei’s teachings and legacy. She knew there were people out there who would one day wander onto her porch steps in seek of aid. She wanted to be a beacon of hope and goodness amidst the planes of war and agony.”

“But,” Naruto shifted in his seat, “she must’ve been so lonely in that hut… all on her own. Half of her family dead and the other half away.”

“Well, Mama would often take me along to visit Mio every once in a while,” Rina said, a far-off look replacing her sober expression. “I was too young to remember our interactions, but I do remember her gentle hands. But then Mama started to lose contact with Mio as she took on the role of Yukigakure’s resident healer while Mio remained near the border to treat any wayfaring stranger during the height of the war.

Then, about two years later, the war was nearing its end and Mama finally had time to visit the hut. She returned to me with the belief that Mio was doing more than fine by then, although she wouldn’t divulge any details. It didn’t matter anyway because the next year, shortly after the end of the second war, Mio was found dead in the hut.”

“Dead?! Wh-What happened?!”

Sasuke tilted his head. “Was it suicide again?”

“Maybe,” sighed Rina. She sat back against her chair, twirling a finger around the tail of her braid. “Maybe Mio had just had enough of it all. They say depressed people seem to be happy or at peace with themselves right before they commit suicide because they’ve finally come to accept their decision to die…. Or maybe it was the work of shinobi again. Who knows?

By the time her body was discovered, it was already in the stage of advanced decay, meaning her corpse was in the putrefecation process, essentially liquidizing. Mio’s corpse was practically unrecognizable by then, and there was no way to determine her cause of death. For all we know, she might’ve just accidentally inhaled or ingested some poison during her work.”

Sasuke thought back to that splatter of blood that’d stained the wooden floorboards in the far corner of the hut, and he glanced at Kakashi’s distracted face, wondering if he’d been thinking the same thing. It was hard to tell behind that mask.

“Almost ten years later, the Third Great Ninja War broke out and my mother died at the height of it,” Rina continued. “With the war spreading once more, the fields were once again ravaged and the need for medicinal herbs shot up as well as their prices. In order to afford the herbs to treat her patients, Hana made a side business out of selling poison to shinobi clients. She was not proud of that line of work and hated every transaction, but she had no choice. During wartime, only those who sell supplies like medicine, food, and weapons are the ones who can truly profit. And with Mio dead, the hut and Granny Yui’s gardens had fallen into ruin, so Hana was forced to make do with what she could.

A year into the war, Mama tried to restore the hut’s gardens when the land’s herbal supplies began to dwindle from constant raids. It was dangerous to leave the protection of the village walls to go to the hut, but Mama had patients in need of the rarer herbs. But she never got to finish restoring the garden because she soon contracted an illness from one of her shinobi clients—an illness foreign to the Land of Spring. Even though I was an adept healer at fourteen years old, I was still too young and inexperienced to save my Mama, and so she died.” Rina shrugged, but sadness pulled at the corners of her mouth slightly. “I’ve tried to visit that hut many times, hoping I could one day restore it to its former glory, but it’s sealed so tightly that I can’t even budge the door. No one can. So it’s been like that for over thirty years now.”

Sasuke frowned at that, remembering how Naruto had struggled with the door, echoing the words of that kid from Hanabana Village. _Then why was I able to open it just fine?_

“Hang on,” Naruto raised a hand to pause them. “If that hut out there has been a place of shelter and aid for everyone for so many years, then why are the villagers so averse to it? Sure, someone died in there, but that doesn’t mean it has to tarnish everything that hut stood for!”

“It’s because every person who has ever lived in that house has died of ill fortune,” Sasuke answered slowly, voicing his thoughts aloud. He gave Rina a sidelong look, biting back his last thought: _everyone except for you_.

Rina’s brows twitched into a frown. “Ever since then, there have been rumors that during winter, when the weather gets really bad, anyone who gets too near the hut can hear screams coming from within.”

“S-Screams..?” Naruto’s face paled.

“Personally, I don’t believe a rumor like that. I’m sure that what they’re actually hearing is just the wind blowing in their ears. But the people of this land have nothing better to do than to spin wild tales from truth, you know? At least to attract the tourists...” She kept her attention on her glass of water, the reflection in it showing the plaintive downturn of her mouth. “But now you know why the natives avoid that hut and any mention of it, yes? I don't know if the house is haunted as you might think but, at the back of my mind, I wonder if that place is actually… cursed.”

That last word came out in a near whisper. Kakashi leaned in even more, so far that he was practically hunched over, but then the sudden pop of the fire shifting the logs made him jump slightly.

“Yes, perhaps it is cursed.” Rina seemed to be talking more to herself than to the men, still staring into that glass of water with that faraway look in her eyes again. Raising a hand, she dragged her fingers over the front of her chest where Sasuke had glimpsed the edge of a burn scar. “And those who try to challenge that curse will find themselves a victim to it,” she murmured, turning her gaze to the window across the room—towards the direction of the hut in the far distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to admit it but the quality of this chapter is subpar for me. I hate delivering subpar quality writing but the words just wouldn’t come to me. In light of my family's covid situation, it’s been hard to get my creative juices flowing even though I know the plot. Another reason this chapter was hard to write is it’s just a whole flashback and that doesn't give me much of an opportunity to focus on Sasuke’s POV as much as I’d like here. Next chapter is when Team Kakashi gets moving now that the lore flashback is over. In the meantime, thank you so much for your patience and well-wishes!
> 
> Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions to clarify something about the hut flashback and its OCs since I know the events of the flashback move pretty fast! I provided a family tree reference of the OCs in case it was getting confusing who's who. ALSO, Yui Handa having dark pink hair and originating from Otogakure is supposed to imply that she is a distant relation to Tayuya of Orochimaru's Sound Four. Congrats if you caught on!
> 
> Jutsus mentioned in order of appearance: Water Bullet, Rock Armor, Dragon Water Whip, Black Panther, Substitution, Water Clone, False Darkness, chakra scalpel


	8. A Blossom in a Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The line between reality and fantasy starts to blur...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still sick, but I'm hanging in there :) And again, thank you guys so much for your lovely comments and well-wishes! And for reading my lengthy Author Notes lol!

By the time, the group departed Kazahana Castle, the snow was already spilling down heavier on them than earlier, leaving a blanket of white everywhere they turned. It wasn’t so hard to navigate on foot with Rina guiding them, but the weather did impede their travels. Sasuke knew it couldn’t be helped but he didn’t like how the disappearing sun cast dreary shades of grey across the land. It was a reminder of every second Sakura was still out there.

Trailing after Rina and watching the tail of her braid sway under the cold breeze, he thought back to the burn scars he’d glimpsed across her chest back in the infirmary. They were years old, that's for sure. But he didn't recollect anything in her story that would've explained how she got such a nasty wound. He began to recall the end of their conversation, plagued by the questions that he’d walked out of that room with.

_"Then why are you still alive?" Sasuke eyed the middle-aged woman, but she didn’t flinch from the blunt accusation. "You said you were born and raised in that house for some time."_

_If there was a time to bring up her scars, now was as good a time as any._

_"Why did I not fall victim to the curse? Yes, I've often wondered that myself… Why did everyone else die but me? If I must be honest, I... do not know,” she admitted with a melancholic note in her voice. “Maybe I left before the curse could get a hold of me. Or maybe it's just not my time yet… Then again, it could really just be superstition after all? The older I get, the more I think so…” She shook her head, looking a bit dejected. “I'm sorry, I wish I could be of more help but that is all I have to offer."_

_Kakashi smiled assuringly at her. "No, that was very helpful. At least we have a better understanding now."_

_Naruto gave him a skeptical look. "We do?"_

_“Of course. If the rest of our investigation leads to nothing, then we might have to assume that the hut was involved in Sakura’s disappearance.”_

_A strong, fearful shudder rolled down Naruto’s back at that and Sasuke frowned at the teasing glint in their leader’s eye. “Don’t put that superstitious nonsense into his head,” he warned him, prompting the older man to chuckle sheepishly._

_“Perhaps we can find a new lead at Yukigakure if nowhere else,” suggested Sai. "We've already investigated all the most obvious places except for Yukigakure."_

_Kakashi nodded. “Agreed, we haven’t investigated Sakura’s destination. It’s possible she did reach Yukigakure but just never had the chance to meet up with Rina.”_

_“Yes, and I can lead you there since I must return to Yukigakure anyway now that I have Sakura-sensei’s supplies,” Rina added, gesturing to the cream-colored duffel bag still sitting at the foot of Kakashi’s bed._

_“But what if we don’t find Sakura-chan there?”_

_Everyone fell silent at Naruto’s question, but the answer rang loud and clear in each of their minds: they didn’t know what to do. Sasuke frowned, wishing the loudmouth hadn’t said a thing because, from then on, that idea had begun to fester in his head like a wound that couldn’t be treated._

Lost in his thoughts about a pink-haired medic, Sasuke almost missed what Naruto had asked the healer leading them to the Hidden Snow village.

“Oh yes, you're correct. I was already Yukigakure’s resident healer by the time Dotō Kazahana had usurped Lady Koyuki’s father,” Rina said in answer to the question proposed to her. She cast a knowing smile over her shoulder towards Kakashi. “And that’s actually how I met your Sensei way back then.”

Three pairs of curious eyes flitted to their team leader who straightened up from the sudden attention. Sasuke had suspected the woman had some ties to Kakashi, and he did recall Kakashi’s words from when he’d probed the man on the matter.

_‘That woman seems to know you, but I don’t remember her from our mission with Doto.’_

_‘That’s because it’s from a time when you weren’t even born yet.’_

“Really, Sensei? You two already knew each other?” asked Naruto.

“That’s right, it was that night when I was rescuing Lady Koyuki.” Kakashi rubbed his chin, turning his gaze to the sky to think back on that night. “You saved my life and the princess’s, although I never had the time to thank you for that. And I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble?”

“Not at all! I’m just glad I was able to help the princess in some way. We were so young back then, practically the same age as your boys now,” Rina laughed lightly.

"But didn't Yukigakure become a shinobi village under the ruling of Dotō Kazahana?" Sai inquired. "With your line of work, business must have been booming then."

“Well, not exactly." Rina's smile became strained and she returned her attention to the front. "Lady Koyuki's uncle took me to the castle to become the resident healer there. I chose to quit instead of work for that monster, of course, but he forbade me from ever working as a healer again if it wasn’t for him. I had to do everything under the table for almost a decade until your team helped restore the princess to the throne. So that’s why… no matter how long it may take for Sakura to be found, you mustn’t lose give up or hope.”

“Hm, well said,” replied Kakashi, and his eyes crinkled in agreement but he was looking at Sasuke instead of the healer.

Sasuke made it a point to not meet his eyes as Naruto crowed out, “Of course not! ‘Cause that’s my Nindō!”

“I think I can see now why Lady Koyuki said that Team Kakashi is the team that can make the impossible _possible_. You’ve guided them well, Kakashi. They’re lucky to have you as their team leader.”

The older man rubbed the back of his head in response to the woman’s flattering opinion of him. “Oh, I just do the best that I can with them. You just need to have patience, that’s all.”

Sasuke had a feeling their former sensei had wanted to specify _a lot_ of patience.

Sai was the one to speak up this time, but then Naruto was shouting through a strong, abrupt gust of wind that flicked a cold sheet of snow into their faces.

“Hey! Is it just me or is it getting harder to hear you guys?”

“What was that?” Kakashi asked, cupping his ear while slipping closer to Naruto.

Glancing back at the men, Rina shouted, “This is bad! It seems we’re about to get caught in another snowstorm—”

“Another one already?!” Naruto exclaimed.

“Yes, it’s a freak storm so stick very close to me!” Rina pointed towards something in the distance but it didn’t look like there was anything in particular over there. “Stone markers were placed during Dotō’s ruling, but only natives like myself would know what they look like. All you have to do is follow me closely, understand?!”

The others nodded in acknowledgment, filing one by one behind her with Sasuke lingering in the back of the line since he possessed the best visual prowess. He clicked his tongue, wondering why did another blizzard have to hit them now of all times, It was bad enough that moving through the terrain slowed them down and it already felt like he’d wasted so much time here in this land with hardly any results to show from it.

Keeping his eye on Naruto’s sunny blond locks, he lifted his hand to block another blast of snowflakes, feeling his poncho whip side to side. The cape of it lifted from the twisting gale and a small gasp escaped him when Sakura’s photo slipped out from his flak jacket. His hand snapped forth to catch it, but she danced out of reach, vanishing into the white storm.

 _‘Sasuke-kun’_ the wind seemed to sighed into his ear, playing with the raven locks around it.

He paused, wondering if he’d misheard, but he could’ve sworn it sounded like Sakura... Still, it didn’t make sense to hear her when he couldn’t even hear what Rina was saying from the front of the line. And why would he even hear Sakura here of all places? No, it was the wind howling just like Rina had explained.

Shaking his head, he moved to catch up to Naruto only to freeze once more when he heard it. The faint scream of a woman.

Was it the wind playing tricks on him again or… had it really been Sakura’s voice? Did he miss her that badly that he was starting to hallucinate?

There was a soft giggle, nearly imperceptible to his ears, but the wind was brushing the bangs away from his Rinnegan eye again like a cold caress. It tugged him left and Sasuke couldn’t help but turn his face in that direction.

In the distance, something pink flashed in between the barrage of snowflakes but it had happened so quickly that Sasuke had to blink and rub at his obsidian eye. When he looked again, there was nothing there. A sigh puffed out from his lips and he suddenly felt foolish for fantasizing something so stupid. Of course she wouldn’t just be standing there. He turned to go but then there was that pink again in the corner of his vision. He whipped his head towards it and suddenly the whole world melted away as he focused his sight on Sakura smiling at him.

The snowflakes moved in slow motion as all he could perceive was her.

_Her._

With those pale pink tresses fluttering playfully around those porcelain cheeks. And those eyes… those jade orbs that seemed to always stare directly into the hearth of his soul.

She stood so still like her photo had come to life.

Another blast of snow cut through his line of sight, but it wasn’t enough to shake Sasuke out of his stupor. She came back into view, still smiling softly at him but with her hand raised to beckon him over, her finger curling.

“Sakura…” Her name tumbled out of his lips like another sigh and Sasuke found himself instinctively taking a step towards her.

He stopped after that one step, his battle-hardened instincts screaming at him. Was it a hallucination? A trap? Or maybe even a Genjutsu? A scowl began to wash over his face at the notion that someone might be toying with him. Closing his eyes for a second, he opened them to reveal his now-activated Sharingan. He wouldn’t be so foolish as to think that it would be that easy to find Sakura after all that effort in searching for her.

Or so he thought, but as his red eye fell once more to the pink-haired woman from afar, he was left shaken at the fact that her figure did indeed have chakra running throughout, confirming that it was a person there. But what really sold him was the fact that the chakra coursing through this figure carried the same color chakra as Sakura’s: a vivid spring-green that matched her eyes.

Could it really be her?

As if she couldn’t wait for him any longer, she turned around and winked out of existence as another flurry of snowflakes stole her away from sight.

“Sakura!” Sasuke shouted, his desperation having clawed its way up his throat.

“What’s tha—?” Naruto said from somewhere ahead, the tips of his blond locks hardly visible now. “Hey, Sa—! Did… say some—ing?! Te… I’m talk… to you!”

But Sasuke was already too far away to respond back to his teammate. He knew it was foolish to break off from the group like this, but if there was any chance that this might be the real Sakura… He wouldn’t hesitate to take that chance.

The wind screamed all around him now, rising in pitch and moaning as if it were in agony. He pressed through, shielding his face from the brunt of the blizzard. As he continued in the direction she’d turned towards, his Sharingan remained activated in the hopes that it might help him catch a glimpse of Sakura again.

Instead of finding her smiling and waiting for him, however, he found nothing but the derelict hut groaning and shaking against Mother Nature’s angry tempest. Even from afar, Sasuke could hear the harsh banging of the door swaying back and forth and slamming against the wall. But how could it be open now if Rina and the other natives had claimed it was sealed? Then again, he’d had no problem opening it earlier.

And maybe Sakura had gone in for shelter again? At the back of his mind, it did seem a little ridiculous but, even so… Whether it was an enemy laying a trap for him or just a whimsical hallucination brought on by his own deeper urges, he had to know.

But as Sasuke approached the porch steps, he stared into the dark mouth of the hut that yawned open for him and hesitated.

“Sakura?” he called out to her, but the wind seemed to carry his voice away.

He climbed the steps slowly, the stairs creaking in protest beneath him.

Standing at the threshold now, he squinted into the black void that was the hut’s interior. Having stayed with Orochimaru in drabby hideouts, he usually had no problem seeing things in the dark… except for now. It was like staring into an abyss; just an endless darkness that stretched on for eternity, threatening to consume him whole.

Sasuke took one step into the pool of black, lingering at the threshold for a moment longer before finally stepping all the way in.

The wind let out a high-pitched scream as if a woman had just been murdered. He was starting to understand how the natives had come up with those rumors that—

**_BAM!_ **

The crying wind had slammed the door shut behind him, allowing the hut to swallow the Uchiha into its dark void.

He tried the doorknob, jiggling the handle before pushing on the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

Engulfed in the utter darkness now, Sasuke kept his Sharingan on even though he still couldn’t see anything with it. Practically blinded, he held up his hand and charged it with Chidori. Instead of lighting up the space around him, however, it seemed the dark ate away the brilliant radiance of his lightning, leaving nothing more but a dim glow that even he could barely see at point-blank range.

Sighing in frustration, Sasuke noticed the temperature was starting to drop, forcing a shiver out of him. Numbness began to tingle at his fingertips and he frowned when his Chidori flickered off without his permission. Before he could reach for his sword to charge it with a more potent Chidori, the room was suddenly washed in shades of red and black as if he was peering through a fake filter of his own Sharingan. He blinked at the fire crackling beneath the mantel now, but then he heard the sound of rock grinding on rock and he instantly turned aside to the source of the noise, ready to defend himself of—

His breath caught in his throat.

There she was again, standing at a table that had somehow appeared when it was never there before. A million questions should’ve been racing through his mind, but Sasuke’s brain seemed to turn into mush instead as all he could process was the sight of her.

She was busy grinding up something using a stone bowl and a pestle as if she belonged there. As if everything was perfectly fine and that she hadn’t vanished into thin air since almost three days ago. And though the shades of red and black had drowned out the whole room, she remained as colorful and vibrant in life with her natural colors of pink and green with her red qipao dress outlined in white.

Sasuke wanted to touch her, but he didn’t dare move in fear that this image of Sakura might somehow disappear like she did amidst the storm. Besides, a part of him wasn’t sure if he was actually ready to meet her yet after having been away for three years since their parting. It was why he’d only watched her from the cover of Konoha’s forest as she battled Kido, lingering only long enough to ensure her safety was secured with the arrival of Kakashi and the others. With how he was now, he chose to stay back and study the way she tucked back a loose pink lock behind an ear before she continued to grind at whatever she had in that bowl.

Suddenly, she perked up and raised her face to him and panic flashed hot in Sasuke’s chest as he briefly wondered what he was supposed to say or do.

Was she even real? His Sharingan still picked up her chakra that had now faded to a pale white color. It certainly wasn't a Genjutsu, he knew that much. And yet, she seemed too surreal to be truly standing there before him without a care in the world.

“Did you hurt yourself again on your travels?” Sakura asked, tipping her head quizzically before setting her equipment aside to come over to him.

Too stumped by what was happening, Sasuke could only watch as she gingerly raised the flap of his poncho to touch the bandaged stump of his left arm. The cotton of his long-sleeved shirt kept her skin separated from his, but he could still feel her gentle touch on his old wound and his heart started pounding like a war drum in his chest. Nobody had ever touched his wound before in a way that she did. A delicious shiver ran through him from the surreal experience and he watched as Sakura peered up at him through her lashes, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully.

“You don’t have to act so tough in front of me, you know,” she whispered to him like she’d found out a secret of his. The corners of her lips curled up teasingly despite the concern in her gaze. “Especially when we’re alone like this.”

What did she mean by that? What was she talking about? Sasuke finally opened his mouth and voiced those questions aloud, but she just continued trailing her fingers up his arm and leaving goosebumps in her wake as if she didn’t—no, couldn’t—hear him at all.

Smiling coyly now, Sakura reached for his hand and tugged him along towards the door that had locked him in this place. “Come! Let’s take off your shirt so that I can change your bandages,” she hummed, opening the door so easily as if it’d never been locked in the first place. “If you behave for me then maybe I’ll reward you, but we’ll have to hurry before he gets back.”

The wink she gave him had Sasuke nearly tripping over his feet. The Sakura he knew had never been so forward like this before—at least not since their Genin days but, even then, a wink was too much even for her.

Was it a trick after all? But if it wasn’t a Genjutsu, then what was this?

Still, he allowed himself to follow her into the darkness once more but, as soon as he crossed the threshold, the grip on Sasuke’s hand disappeared and he found himself back inside the hut with the temperature even colder than before. He shivered, catching his breath fogging in front of his face before noticing Sakura again at the table. But she was sitting with her arms crossed, biting her nail anxiously as she glared at a stained spot in the wood of the table. He tried to move again—towards her—but his body felt frozen in place, his feet and hands numb now. When she fixed her despondent stare onto him, he couldn’t help but frown at the way her jade orbs were framed by a teary redness.

 _Did I make her cry again?_ he asked himself, but he had a feeling he already had the answer.

Sakura stood up abruptly, hands clenched at her sides as she seemed to bristle with an anger far more aggressive than the kind of anger she typically showed towards Naruto. The vivid green of her eyes flared as she stomped her way over to him. Sasuke had to tilt his head down to meet her hot gaze as she positioned herself right below his chin to yell directly into his face. “Who are you to tell me if I deserve you or not? I’m the one who gets to decide that!”

Her finger dug into his chest as she continued to seethe and Sasuke was too bewildered to even think of protesting such outlandish accusations.

“I told you already, didn't I?! I don’t care what anyone says about you—about us. I don’t care if your hands are stained with blood or if you think you're beyond redemption.”

The fury in Sakura’s expression began to crumble, giving way to anguish and despair that made him wonder if he was the cause again, and inwardly he cursed himself for it. The unshed tears in her eyes were falling now, fresh with pain. Sasuke felt her arms come around him, embracing him as if she thought he would be the one to disappear like smoke instead of her.

“I _want_ you to touch me—I _want_ to be stained by you. I just… want you,” she whispered against his chest, and it felt like she was trying to speak directly to his heart in the hopes her message would get through to him.

Sasuke felt disoriented. There was a lump in his throat that he tried to swallow down but couldn’t. It took every ounce of his strength to raise his arm, and it inched its way up as Sakura spoke through her tears. “You promised that you’d take me with you… to see the world together, remember? I… I want to walk on the same road with you for the rest of my life.”

His hand finally reached her shoulder but, just as he grasped her, she faded away, slipping through Sasuke’s fingers in tendrils of smoke.

He stared at his palm where he’d just briefly managed to touch her. Was he not allowed to? Was this his own personal hell meant to torture him? To punish him for all the wrong he’d committed? To remind him that he didn’t deserve happiness after causing so much pain to all those precious to him?

Karma, that’s what this had to be. And perhaps this was also the curse Rina had proposed.

The numbness crept up his legs as the temperature plummeted to subzero. Sasuke fell to his knees, unable to feel any sensation in all of his limbs now.

“What’s wrong?” a voice asked him from the side of the room, but it didn’t come from the table this time.

Slowly, he turned his face towards the rocking chair by the porch window where Sakura was watching him, brows pinched in concern. Her hair was long, he noticed, just brushing the tops of her thighs in a rosy curtain. But it wasn’t the long hair that stole Sasuke’s breath away—no, it was the way her belly was so swollen that it stretched taut the cloth of her red qipao dress.

“Why do you look so sad?” she asked him, prompting Sasuke to wonder what sort of expression he had to be making when he was still reeling from the sight of her very pregnant state.

Standing up, Sakura waddled over to him and the strange but somewhat endearing vision tugged the corners of his mouth up despite her recently claiming that he seemed sad. But then Sasuke’s little smirk subsided as she came close enough that her baby bump nearly grazed his nose, eliciting a peculiar, fluttery sensation to flip in his stomach. He blinked as she caressed both hands across the top of his head, smoothing his hair before sliding her hands down to the back of his head.

“I’ll be lonely without you, you know?”

Hearing her say those words caught him off guard and he exhaled sharply.

_“Don’t do this, Sasuke—you don’t have to be alone! You told me that day how painful a thing solitude can be. I understand that pain now…”_

_Did she? The two of them were from completely different backgrounds, so how could someone like her understand his pain?_

_She sniffed, but he refused to turn around. Still, he listened._

_“I have a family and friends, but… if you were gone, Sasuke, it would be the same thing for me as being all alone!”_

The guilt pressed heavy on his chest but, suddenly, she was guiding his head to rest against the heavy swell of her belly and his lips parted as the warmth of her chased away the coldness of his cheek.

“Promise you’ll come back to me,” Sakura murmured to him, gently weaving her fingers through the raven locks at his nape, and he found himself leaning ever so slightly into her touch.

 _But I already did promise_ , Sasuke thought faintly in his head, remembering the forehead poke he’d given her before leaving.

A light thump against his cheek pulled him away from that thought and he found his heart leaping at that sensation.

“Oof!” Sakura giggled and her baby bump rubbed against him from the motion. “Feel that? Our baby is also demanding for Papa to stay. His kicks are already this strong, but that's no surprise there. He must take after his shinobi father. Then again, maybe _he_ ’s actually a _she_? What do you think—will it be a boy or a girl? I hope it’s a boy.”

 _I hope it’s a girl_ , the answer had popped into Sasuke’s mind without a second thought, and if he wasn’t so freezing cold right now then he might’ve gone red at the cheeks for being so brazen towards someone he wasn’t even married to. But then, would Sakura really be the kind of person to carry another man’s child while still in love with him? No, she wouldn’t. To be with another man would mean that her feelings of love for Sasuke had changed in the sense that she didn’t want to be with him in that way anymore. It would be arrogant of him to think that she'd be forever in love with him and wait for him just as long too.

 _Ah, I must truly have walked into hell then_ , Sasuke thought as he closed his eyes to listen to the little heartbeat fluttering deep in her swollen belly.

“So promise you’ll come back home to me soon, all right?” Sakura whispered to him, still running her fingers through his hair as if to comfort the both of them for just a little longer. “I’ll be here waiting for you, ana—”

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Somebody was pounding on the door and he felt Sakura quickly stiffen against him. She didn't move or speak.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

“Don’t… Don’t open it,” she finally said, voice trembling with fear now.

Sasuke frowned as the aggressive knocking persisted with barely a second in between, the door groaning in protest from whoever was on the other side. His frown deepened when Sakura drew back from him and he collapsed to the ground, his cheek now against the icy floorboards that instantly replaced the warmth of her baby bump.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

He wanted to open it and reprimand whoever was out there, if only to assuage the fear that had Sakura slowly shuffling back until she fell into the rocking chair, causing it to start moving back and forth under her weight.

**_Creak… Creak…_ **

“Don’t let them in,” she muttered, more to herself than to him.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

She wasn’t even looking at him anymore but was staring wide-eyed at the door that seemed to bow inward under the force of the stranger beyond.

**_Creak… Creak..._ **

_Don’t let who in?_ he wanted to demand.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Suddenly, she hissed in pain, both hands falling down to cup the swell of her belly. Sasuke could only let out so much as a grunt of consternation as he watched a dark red spot bloom across her baby bump like a flower. His eyes rounded with panic as that red soaked her qipao dress before spilling down her inner thighs in thick rivulets of blood against her milky white skin.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

The house seemed to be moaning in agony, pressing in on him from all around as if it was about to collapse. The wooden panels of the walls shuddered violently, a black liquid oozing in between them like ink, although it crawled down the wall slowly similar to how blood did. Similar to the blood still dribbling down Sakura’s legs right now.

**_Creak... Creak... Creak..._ **

“Ah!” She cried out in agony as the knocking grew louder and Sasuke was helpless to watch as her blood started dripping onto the floorboards, pooling at her feet.

Of course, it wouldn’t be hell without him having to lose those most precious to him even if it was in the form of a hallucination or dream.

But that didn’t mean Sasuke Uchiha would just sit still and let it all happen. Not so long as he still had breath in him.

**_Creak… Creak…_ **

He grit his teeth and let out a strained groan as he struggled to move his body—just move! But it was like he was back at the Valley of the End again when he’d been too drained of chakra and blood and, on the verge of death, he could barely turn his head to watch Sakura heal his severed arm, pouring her own life energy to mend him.

**_Creak..._ **

He managed to flop onto his back, body completely stiff and numb like he was a walking corpse now, although walking was a privilege he no longer had, it seemed. With just as much effort, he turned his head towards Sakura but stopped when he noticed that all that remained on the rocking chair was a pile of cherry blossoms soaked in blood. One of them fell to the floor, swimming in the sticky red pool.

Dread burned hot in Sasuke’s chest like someone had taken a hot iron poker and stabbed him straight through.

For too long a moment, he waited with bated breath for her to reappear again—to come back to life and strike up another bizarre conversation with him even if he couldn’t exactly talk _with_ her. He just didn’t want to stay here alone with the ghost of her presence to mock him of his failures and sins.

But when another Sakura didn't pop into existence, Sasuke merely closed his eyes in defeat, his Sharingan fading away as he was no longer able to even do so much as twitch his fingers. The oppressive atmosphere of the hut seemed to be sucking all the life out of him, claiming his every labored breath and using it to invigorate itself like a parasite. And for one of the few times in his life, fear began to trickle down Sasuke’s back as he lay helpless. Perhaps the curse of the hut had truly killed him. But, as strange as it was and despite having to suffer for eternity in this hell, he found solace in the fact that he got to see Sakura one last time even if she wasn’t real.

That same solace, however, was followed up by the regret that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill the promise he made to her that day...

_"Next time, I promise.”_

The numbness began to dominate even his consciousness now, but just as an eternal slumber began to pull him under, a familiar warmth brushed aside the bangs over his forehead.

The numbness clouding his mind retreated.

Sasuke blinked, peering through bleary eyes at her pretty face again. Relief flooded through him as he observed the lack of blood and pain this time, though she wasn’t pregnant either. But there was something about this Sakura that tugged at his core, filling him with this strange yearning that he hadn’t felt as strongly as he did with the previous apparitions of her.

There was something about this specific Sakura that had the others that appeared before him pale in comparison. He couldn’t put a finger on it.

She cocked her head, giving Sasuke a curious look as if _she_ was the one bewildered to find him here. A lock of pink slipped down, the silky ends of it tickling his cheek for a few seconds before she gingerly—almost shyly—tucked it back.

“S-Sa… ku… ra…” he managed to rasp out with great effort.

A slow smile began to lift at her rosy lips and she started to mouth something. Although he didn’t hear her voice and he couldn’t use his Sharingan to read her lips, she spoke slowly enough for him to understand what she was saying: _‘You found me’_

**_Bang! … Bang! … Bang!_ **

There was someone pounding at the door again, but it was accompanied by a voice that Sasuke couldn’t quite hear very well. It sounded as if someone was yelling for him through water, his name coming through all muffled into his clogged ears. Almost in answer to that noise, Sakura straightened up, brushing at the mauve knee protectors clothing her legs. But his lids were becoming heavy again and his breathing was starting to slow, and Sasuke knew he’d run out of time.

Or so he thought.

He felt her take his hand firmly into hers and suddenly the warmth of her fingers coursed up his arm and throughout his body, chasing away the icy slumber that’d been dragging him under. She yanked him up into a sitting position and he gasped, raking in a lungful of musty but brisk air. His eyes snapped open to find that the horrible red and black filter had been replaced with the darkness of the hut once more.

But Sakura’s apparition was also no longer to be found.

So it truly had been just a dream after all… Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure if he should’ve been disappointed by that or not. Although, he was starting to feel a little ridiculous knowing that he really thought the curse of the hut had been real enough to have actually killed him—or at least tried to. Even if the house did collapse, that certainly wouldn’t have been enough to kill the last Uchiha. Such a notion was almost laughable.

_But how could a dream feel so real?_

As his eyes strained to adjust to the pitch blackness, the knocking at the door returned and he almost thought he was back to that vision of a pregnant Sakura begging him not to open the door in fear of what awaited outside.

**_Bang! … Bang! … Bang!_ **

“Hey, Sasuke!” Naruto’s boisterous voice cut through the aching silence inside the hut, clear and loud like birds on a sunny morning. “Sasuke!”

He stumbled towards the source of the noise, guided through the dark by Naruto’s yelling. The door shook as his friend tried to open it from the other side to no avail but, as soon as Sasuke’s fingers touched the frigid knob, the door swung open, slamming against the wall. The bright light that washed over him was nearly blinding as his vision adjusted. Just outside the threshold, Naruto stood, panting with his hands clenched into fists. The blue of his eyes was vivid with ire and a hint of concern as he grabbed the Uchiha by the folds of his poncho.

“The hell were you doing in there?! You can’t just run off on your own like that—you know how sick and worried I was, calling your name but you wouldn’t respond?!” The ire on Naruto’s face melted away as he took a proper look at Sasuke. “H-Hey, what happened? Your face is lookin’ a little blue..?"

Blue? Sasuke grazed his fingertips across his cheek where the skin was tingling, the nerves coming back to life now. So he must’ve fallen asleep from the freezing temperatures… and then dreamt about _her_ until Naruto banging on the door woke him up.

"Well, your color’s coming back already but—oh yeah! Why’d you lead us back to this creepy place again?!”

Grimacing at the angry volume of Naruto’s voice piercing his eardrums, Sasuke pulled his poncho free of his friend’s hold. He turned to peek over Naruto’s shoulder and at Kakashi approaching the porch steps now as he fumbled for a decent excuse. “I… I thought I saw—”

“S-Sa… Sakura-chan?!”

“Yeah, how did you…” Noticing Naruto’s befuddled gaze directed over his shoulder, Sasuke whipped his head around to follow it towards the tangled fluff of pink hair that spilled into the pool of light the open door cast into the hut. Facedown, she had a slim white hand stretched out like she’d tried to reach for the rectangle of light pouring through the doorway.

And she wasn’t an apparition.

She wasn’t a memory or a dream.

She was real, and she was lying there, prone on the floor as if she’d just fallen asleep while waiting for him this whole time.

_I found you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused yet? Sorry if that GIF seemed out of place; I was feeling a bit too lazy to write that flashback a 2nd time lol. Feel free to comment any theories or guesses you might have so far! Although I can’t say I’ll be able to deny/confirm any, hehe~
> 
> In the manga, each individual has their own distinct chakra color that gives their chakra a unique identity. However, the anime just gives everyone that blue chakra color to make it simple, I guess. But that’s why I wrote Sakura having a light green chakra color. And yes, the chakra color does matter in the context of this story.
> 
> Also, I just realized that when Sasuke forehead pokes Sakura, he specifically says “Mata kondo NA” (また今度な) which translates to “Next time, I promise”... as opposed to Itachi’s “Mata kondo DA” (また今度だ) which translates to “Maybe next time”. Now, I was watching the subbed clip of the SasuSaku forehead poke scene from the anime and I guess whoever did the subbing missed the distinction between Sasuke’s “NA” vs Itachi’s “DA” because they used Itachi’s “Maybe next time” translation instead when Sasuke is specifically promising to himself and to Sakura that she’d definitely go with him next time. Ooh, that explains all the more reason why she made that face! Anyways, I’m 5 years late on this but I still wanted to share this tidbit because I think it’s so sweet.


	9. The Sound of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When things start to go bump in the night, what will Team 7 do?

The air was as frigid and musty as the last time the men had been here. But where the air had been tinged with desperation back then, it was now replaced by wariness as the men carefully inspected every corner despite Sasuke’s insistence that the room was clear. Once an assessment was made, they carefully approached the young woman lying unconscious on the floor, though Kakashi initially had to hold Naruto back from immediately rushing to Sakura's side. Sasuke couldn't blame either of them.

“So there are no traps,” Kakashi said, taking another glance around as if to confirm it. “And we didn't walk into a genjutsu. Even so, this is really unexpected.”

"But good, right?" Naruto asked, shifting restlessly on his feet to fight the urge to check on Sakura. Sasuke, too, quietly restrained himself as he watched Naruto pace back and forth. "I mean, we found her so that's a good thing!"

Propping a hand against his hip, Kakashi peered down at Sakura but didn’t touch her, and neither did Naruto, although Sasuke itched to shrug off his poncho and drape it over her. She was in her standard red qipao dress with a black obi wrapped around her waist, but there was no coat to protect her from the cold and a lack of gloves and sandals left her hands and feet bare. Strangely enough, she wasn’t shivering at all. Still, she looked much too vulnerable like this with all that skin exposed.

“She’ll freeze to death if we don’t do something,” Sasuke reminded the older man, his voice sharp with ire. He’d been laying on those floorboards not too long ago and vividly remembered how the rotting wood had been like ice against his body.

Impatient as well, Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Kakashi-sensei, if Sasuke says it’s all clear then it’s all clear!”

With a sigh, their captain crouched down beside Sakura, studying her while stroking his chin. There were no paper bombs attached, she wasn’t a clone or an imposter, but still… Carefully, Kakashi put a hand on Sakura’s shoulder and Sasuke held his breath as she was turned onto her back. Her face was horribly pale, almost as white as snow, but she remained unconscious and so still that Sasuke could believe she was dead if someone had told him so. With bated breath, he waited as Kakashi pressed an ear to Sakura’s chest for a moment.

“She’s cold, but she’s alive.” Pulling back, Kakashi shook his head. “I don’t know, something feels off here…”

“That’s what happens when you walk into a haunted house!” Naruto grumbled, glaring hard at the dark corners of the room as if he expected something to pop out any moment.

“Well, yes, but also…” Sasuke couldn’t help but raise a brow as he watched their leader lean into Sakura and take a deep whiff from her neck. “Hmm…”

“Is that necessary?” Sasuke asked in a monotonous tone.

Kakashi shook his head again, frowning at Sakura. “Something’s wrong. She doesn’t smell right.”

“Do you have to be a pervert about it?!” Naruto pointed an accusing finger, but the glint in Kakashi’s eye remained serious.

“It’s her.” Unable to wait any longer, Sasuke crouched down on the other side of Sakura. Biting off his glove, he went on to touch her porcelain cheek. The cold shock of her skin made the corners of his mouth tug down in distraught, but he continued to assess her with his Sharingan. His red gaze swept down her body before returning to her sleeping face. “There’s no visible signs of injury and her chakra is normal… Pulse is steady too.” His eyes landed on her lips that were slightly chapped, but not blue, so that was a good sign. It meant she hadn’t been here for too long. But there was a burgundy smear at the corner of her mouth that unsettled Sasuke and he nodded to it. “What’s that?”

Still frowning, Kakashi leaned in and sniffed at the out-of-place stain. Grey eyes widened a fraction before they swept across her body. “It’s blood. A day old at least.”

“Sakura-chan’s?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Or her assailant’s.”

“If there’s no external signs of injury… maybe it’s internal?” murmured Sasuke. Fear twisted in his gut at that. If it was an external injury, they were capable of at least giving her first aid. Internal wounds, on the other hand, were way outside their expertise.

“None of us know medical ninjutsu though, so…” Rubbing his chin, Kakashi sighed and looked to the young men before him. “We’re, um… we're going to have to examine her the old-fashioned way.”

“What… What does that mean?” Naruto asked, but the anxiousness in his face implied he knew exactly what that meant. Already, he began backing away as Kakashi tugged open Sakura’s obi.

Sasuke's breath stilled in his chest as he watched the older man gingerly unwrap the black cloth from her trimmed waist, his hands moving with methodical grace. Sucking in a breath, Sasuke followed his former sensei, reaching for the zipper at the side of her dress.

Naruto scrambled back. “Are you crazy?! Do you want Sakura-chan to kill you guys?!”

 **_Zzzzz…_ **

Sasuke's throat bobbed sharply and fought to keep his hand steady as he dragged the zipper keeping Sakura’s dress together. It wasn’t like he was entirely unfamiliar with the curves of a woman’s body, but all of his pubescent years had been spent entirely on searching for power and vengeance. He’d touched women before, yes, but always in the context of battle during which his bloodlust and drive to survive overpowered all other senses. But in this kind of silence… it made things feel more intimate than he was used to. Not to mention that he was undressing a woman he’d known since he was around five years old. The memory of Sakura as a pretty Genin clashed with the image of the young and beautiful woman he was now stripping. It didn't help that she wasn't conscious to give her consent.

But then Rina’s words echoed in his mind: _‘when you’re in the medical field, you see everything; way more than what you see on the battlefield. Trust me, you see some crazy stuff. A naked man or woman isn’t the worst of it and I’m sure Sakura-sensei has also become immune to the sight of naked patients.’_

Right. Although Sasuke wasn’t a medic, he wasn’t a child anymore either.

He swallowed again—hard—and steeled himself as the flap of her red dress peeled away to reveal the slim but strong figure beneath. It amazed Sasuke how such a slim body contained power that could obliterate whole mountains with a single strike.

“I don’t see any swelling or discoloration.” Kakashi looked over the pale flesh of her torso, brows furrowing slightly. “What do you think?”

Sasuke swept his gaze up Sakura’s toned stomach, over the subtle ridges of her ribs, before settling over the gentle rise and fall of her wrapped chest. The bandages stretched tight around her breasts remained a bleached white, and he sighed in relief at the lack of blood.

Reaching a hand out, he laid it across her ribs and gently pressed down, feeling the soft and smooth skin against his calloused fingers. His hand gingerly made its way down her stomach, checking for any bruising that might've impaired the tight muscles of her abdomen. Her belly was a bit warm compared to the icy porcelain of her cheek, and it expanded slightly against Sasuke's hand as she breathed gently into his palm. He stopped when his fingers brushed against the single but thick scar that marred the space just a few inches to the right of her belly button and above the delicate jut of her hipbone.

It was an old stab wound. He recognized that kind of injury from the countless times he’d seen Orochimaru stab those who’d been unfortunate enough to cross him.

Stroking the raised skin tissue with his finger, curiosity washed over him as he wondered what kind of battle Sakura had been in to receive such a wound that could stay with her for so long despite her renowned medical skills.

“Sasuke?”

Kakashi’s voice cut through his thoughts and Sasuke yanked his hand back before shaking his head. Dark bangs fell across his cheeks, hiding the bit of warmth that flooded them.

“So is she all right or not?” Naruto asked over Sasuke’s shoulder, having slowly approached them when the young woman still didn’t wake up. His face went red at the sight of Sakura's undressed state and he twisted around to look away, but blue eyes surreptitiously sidled back to her as Kakashi fixed her clothes back into place. "She looks all right to me," Naruto mumbled when Sasuke's head moved and effectively blocked his view.

“It’s impossible to tell until Sakura can wake up and tell us herself.” Peering back at the door they’d left open for some light, Kakashi sighed. “It’ll be getting dark soon. It’s not a good idea to move her around in this weather, and especially in her condition.” He paused to watch Sasuke remove his poncho and drape it over the girl’s body. “There’s something off about her…” Kakashi muttered, tipping his head aside as he stared at Sakura.

“What do you mean, Sens—hey! The hell are you doing to her?!”

Naruto’s upper lip curled as Kakashi grabbed a fistful of Sakura’s hair, pressing it to his nose to sniff it. Sasuke’s mouth twitched but he waited for their former sensei to make his observation. The crease between Kakashi’s brows deepened as he stared at the girl like she was a puzzle that didn’t have the right pieces.

“I can still pick up Pakkun’s shampoo on her at least,” Kakashi mused aloud.

Naruto rolled his eyes again. “Yeah, she still uses Minty Rainforest Mist—we know already!”

But Kakashi sat back and crossed his arms. “All this time, we couldn’t finish tracking Sakura down because her scent had somehow ended here in the hut without leading out of it… even though she wasn’t here when we first checked this place. But now that I’m able to smell her like this, I realize that she still has her scent… but it’s very faint for some reason.”

“I mean, I don’t think she’s had the chance to bathe for three days, Kakashi-sensei, so…”

“No, it’s not like that because I’d still be able to pick up her scent. In this case, it’s more like…" His forehead crinkled as Kakashi struggled to explain. "Like a rose covered by a glass dome... the scent of the flower is still there but it’s contained.”

Upon hearing that, Sasuke was half-tempted to take a whiff of those cherry blossom locks himself, but he didn’t share the same sharp sense of smell that their former sensei had. “So what does that mean?”

"It means it's really hard to smell her for some reason."

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense,” Naruto cut in. “If her scent is ‘contained’, then how were you able to pick it up and track her down to the hut? Are you saying Sakura-chan’s scent wasn’t contained _until_ she entered the hut? How does that even work?"

Kakashi scratched his head. “That’s a good question. Honestly, I really have no clue, but since we can’t track Sakura by scent at the moment, it’d be bad if we lose her again.” Turning his gaze to her mouth and squinting at it for a hard second, Kakashi grabbed her bottom jaw and gently pried it open. This time, Sasuke made a small, protesting grunt when Kakashi dipped his face in and inhaled from Sakura’s gaping mouth.

“Ewww! Sensei, did you just…” Gagging, Naruto shook his head. “I get her hair, but her breath?!”

“Smells like blood too…” Kakashi murmured, and the two other men froze from the remark. This time, nobody commented when the older man stuck two fingers down Sakura’s mouth for a moment before drawing his hand out. Turning to Sasuke once more, Kakashi offered him his fingers now glistening with Sakura’s saliva. “Well? Do you see anything now?”

With his Sharingan, Sasuke inspected the sticky fluid and blinked in surprise a moment later. “There’s blood in her saliva,” he said slowly, still confused by the sight of the miniscule specks littered within the spit. To the naked eye, it was just saliva. But with his powerful visual prowess, he could pick up the bloody traces that swam around.

“But you said there was no internal bleeding.” Naruto frowned, eyeing Sasuke’s poncho over her as if expecting blood to bloom across it.

“She could’ve been wounded but healed herself,” Kakashi suggested. He paused and then turned Sakura onto her side so that he could open the pouch at her back. “Her pouch is completely empty. If only she had a vial on her, we could collect a sample of her saliva and send it to Shizune. Analyse the blood in her saliva and see if it matches with the stain by her mouth.”

Naruto shrugged. “Couldn’t we just have Shizune take a look at her mouth once we return home?”

“Her saliva would have broken down everything by the time we get back,” Sasuke explained as he noticed the painted mouse peeking out from the hood of Kakashi’s cloak. Its beady eyes reminded him of their additional team member and he surveyed the room, finding the other man was indeed absent. In his hurry to chase after Sakura, he’d completely forgotten about the rest of the team. A sliver of guilt burrowed into Sasuke’s gut as he remembered the terrified look on Naruto’s face the moment that door had burst open. “Where’s Sai?”

“Sai knows where we are. I’m having him escort Rina to Yukigakure but he should be meeting us here by tonight,” Kakashi replied, peeking at the black-and-white mouse that squeaked in agreement.

“Wait, we’re staying the night here?!” Naruto’s voice had risen in pitch and he began to squirm around, glaring at the dark corners once again. “You remember that this is a haunted house, right?!”

“We can’t travel through a blizzard this late in the day,” said Sasuke as he rose up to check outside. A flurry of snowflakes was all that could be seen beyond the threshold and he frowned at the waning light that poured into the hut. “Without Rina to guide us, we’re better off staying where we are, especially when we don’t know of Sakura’s condition.”

The roof creaked above them and Naruto shot to his feet, slightly crouching in alarm. “Aren’t you worried about the gh-gh-ghosts?” he asked, voice dropping to a whisper when he said the g-word.

Sasuke tipped an amused brow at him. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”

“Dead people can be revived but you don’t believe in ghosts?”

Perhaps he would’ve in another life, but not in this one. The day after his clan’s slaughter, he’d ventured into the compound in the hopes that the Hokage’s claims had been wrong… that there was at least one other survivor of the Uchiha clan. But the creak of the blood-stained floorboards had been the only noise that accompanied his journey through the wasted district. The flower pots that the old granny down the street watered every morning were already wilting. The roads were no longer laced with the pungent smell of anko dumplings the vendors sold throughout the day. Even the stray cats that often snuck by to fish from the koi ponds were absent. There had been signs of life everywhere he looked and yet… not a single soul in sight. Only an aching silence had greeted him.

If ghosts did exist, then why hadn’t his parents appeared when he’d collapsed on the floor of their room, weeping out every tear until his eyes were raw and red with anguish? Why, for the many years he’d suffered alone, had they never thought to show any sign that they were watching over him?

And when Itachi had died… it had taken a forbidden reincarnation jutsu to pull his soul back from the Pure Land. So no, after losing his entire clan to tragedy, he didn’t believe in superstitious things like ghosts. Once you died, you entered the land of the dead and remained there forever cut off from the land of the living.

“It was a jutsu that called the souls of the dead from the afterlife.” Sasuke shrugged, walking away from the door to return to Sakura’s side. “Ghosts are just superstition.”

“Well, don’t you think it’ll be a fun experience, Naruto?” Kakashi said when the to-be Hokage jumped at another creak of the floor. Grey eyes crinkled reassuringly. “It’ll be just like your Genin days when we’d go camping in a dark forest during our missions. You guys were jumpy that first night too, but it turned out just fine.”

“It’ll be nothing like that, Sensei!”

Kakashi dismissed the young man’s fears with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over you guys like I used to.”

Ignoring Naruto’s grumbling, Sasuke cupped Sakura’s cheek again, frowning when he met ice cold skin. The low temperature of her body reminded him of when he’d been stiff cold on the floor like a corpse not too long ago. Tucking his poncho around the edges of her body, he then moved to the fire place, observing the mountain of snow that obscured the logs within the hearth. He raised his hand into a seal, letting the chakra focus within his lungs. His chest expanded sharply and he opened his mouth to let out a thin stream of fire.

**_Fwoosh!_ **

The golden stream of flames soon died down and Sasuke blinked at the pile of dried wood no longer covered by the snow but also not burning with his flames. That was strange. Having traveled on his own for a few years by now, he’d learned many survival skills, including how to light wet wood. Feeling the others’ expectant gazes on his back, he tried again.

**_Fwooooosh!_ **

The logs remained dry but unlit.

“Great, now we can freeze to death tonight in our sleep,” Naruto said dryly, prompting the Uchiha to scowl at his own failure.

He sucked in another breath. **_Fwooooosh_ **!

Still no fire.

“Maybe try one of your great fireballs?” Naruto proposed, his sarcasm deepening the scowl on Sasuke’s face.

“You wanna try one of your Rasengans?” He bit back.

“Nevermind the fire,” said Kakashi. “The wood must be too rotten or something. It can’t be helped.”

Sasuke frowned at the empty fireplace before returning to Sakura’s side. Guilt speared through his gut as he eyed her, knowing it would’ve been a great help to raise the temperature of the room with a proper fire. As it was now, it felt like he’d failed her, and the feeling of failing her took him back to the days when he’d been too weak to protect Sakura.

Going over to the window, Kakashi studied the tight seam of the shutters before grabbing the small handle knobs. “Guess we’ll have to rely on moonlight and candles for the most part. Good thing we’ve at least got a nice view of the outside with the window here,” he grunted out, shoulders quaking with the effort to open the shutters.

Heaving a sigh, Naruto leaned his hands back on the floor, watching with disinterest as Kakashi struggled with the window shutters.

Sasuke’s single hand caressed down Sakura’s cold cheek once more before he reached into his pack to withdraw the extra cloak he’d bothered to bring along. A chilly breeze swept into the small hut, forcing out a shiver from him, but he proceeded to pile the white travel cloak over his worn poncho atop of Sakura. She didn’t move when he reached down to tuck her bare legs in. She really did seem like a corpse and another shiver ran down his back, but it wasn’t from the cold this time.

 _No, she’s alive_ , he reminded himself. It was ridiculous to think that someone like her could die simply from cold weather, especially after everything she’d been through.

**_BANG!_ **

Dull light suddenly enveloped them.

“Phew!” Wiping a hand across his brow, Kakashi stepped back, bumping the rocking chair as he surveyed their view of the blizzard outside. Somewhere in the background, Naruto complained of how there wasn’t anything to look at but absolute whiteness. Kakashi gave him a half-shrug, touching a hand to the rocking chair to still it. “We still have flashlights to see and candles for a bit of warmth once night comes. In the meantime, we’ll wait for Sai to return.”

Slipping his hand beneath both cloaks, Sasuke quietly held Sakura’s hand. Her fingers were dainty beneath his grasp and he thought back to when they were twelve-year-olds sharing the same sized hands. Years later and as a young man now, his hand easily enveloped hers. And at six feet, he was six inches taller than when they’d parted at the gates, and now a full head taller than her compared to when they’d been the same height at twelve years old. It was funny what puberty could do to one’s body given enough years.

Slowly, the corner of Sasuke’s mouth tugged up at the idea that he was finally strong enough to protect those precious to him… to protect her.

The sudden howl of the wind tore his attention away from Sakura’s sleeping face and towards the snowstorm that raged beyond the window. He had seen her beckoning to him among a whirlwind of snowflakes. She’d been real, and their eyes had met at that time and yet… and yet, when he arrived in the hut, why had he seen only strange apparitions of her? Why hadn’t he seen the Sakura that was by his side now?

As he watched the blizzard howl on, Sasuke wondered what those dreams of her meant. Were they just a whimsical fantasy of his brought on by almost freezing to death?

_If so, then why did they feel so real?_

.

.

.

It was near midnight when Sai’s mouse suddenly squeaked in declaration before melting away, seeping into the wood of the floorboards beneath the rocking chair where it’d been waiting.

“He’s here,” Kakashi announced, turning his attention to the door that they’d closed once the outside light had dwindled.

As if on cue, a knock resounded from the door, signaling the arrival of their other teammate.

“Finally!” Being the one closest to the door, Naruto stood up to open it. The door swung open with a sharp **_‘creeaak’_ ** and he blinked at the sight before him. There was nobody there. Scratching the back of his head, Naruto peered back at Sasuke and Kakashi. “I guess we misheard,” he said, grabbing the icy knob to close the door.

The door closed shut and he turned to—

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Naruto jolted from the abrupt sound of someone hitting the door hard enough to make it rattle against the frame. His surprise quickly shifted into irritation and Naruto scowled, shoving the door open in retaliation. “Hey, Sai! Now’s not the time for fun and games!”

His only response was the howl of the wind. Sticking his head outside, Naruto scanned the surroundings before drawing back into the hut when he saw no sign of their teammate. Grumbling, he reclaimed his spot above Sakura’s head. No more than a few seconds later did the banging on the door return with a vengeance, the wood bowing under the force of whoever was outside.

Kakashi sighed in exasperation and gave Naruto a look that had him grumbling even louder as he stood up once more to go to the door.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Naruto groused.

Sasuke’s grip on Sakura’s hand tightened as he remembered her apparition in the rocking chair begging him not to—

“Don’t open it,” he said. The two men glanced at him but Sasuke kept his attention fixed on the trembling frame of the wood. “Don’t open the door.”

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Naruto’s looked back and forth between the door groaning for his attention and the Uchiha shaking his head at him. Whatever he saw in Sasuke’s expression must’ve been enough to convince him because he slowly walked away from the door to join the other two men around Sakura where he quickly sat down and hugged his knees. Naruto fixed his sky blue eyes onto a notch in the floorboard, lips pressed together to contain his whimper.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

“....”

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

He forced his grip on Sakura’s hand to relax even as he eyed the door.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

“Sasuke?” Kakashi called to him calmly.

He shook his head in reply. "I can't explain it but… just don't open it yet."

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

The irritation in Naruto’s face had already given way to a fear that had him trembling, though he probably would’ve blamed it on the cold. "It's a gh-gh-gh-ghoooo…!"

**_BANG. BANG. BANG._ **

"There was nothing there when you opened the door though," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto paused at that, the fear in his eyes slowly dissipating away. "I-I guess, but—"

**_BANG…_ **

The wood of the door stopped bowing.

Sasuke held his breath and counted the seconds that ticked by in silence. When a full minute passed without another bang on the door, he nodded to Naruto. The blond-haired man shook his head vigorously, however, and Sasuke scowled, jerking his head to the door in gesture.

“Why me?” Naruto hissed at him over Sakura’s body.

“You’re the one closest to it, dobe.”

“I already went the first two times—it’s your turn!”

Between them, Kakashi scrubbed a hand over his tired face. “Just open it, Naruto.”

Growling, the Jinchūriki then huffed as he stood back up and made his way to the entrance. His hand moved to grasp the doorknob but then he paused, pressing an ear to the wood to listen for whoever may be on the other side. Sucking in a breath, the expression on his face quickly morphed into hardened resolve and he let out a yell, throwing the door open with one fist raised.

Sasuke watched as Naruto froze in place before slowly relaxing at the sight of whoever stood before him.

“Sai!” barked Naruto, his irritation returning in full force now. “If that’s your idea of a joke, it wasn’t funny, y’know!”

“What do you mean?” The former Root member’s voice spilled through, befuddled by the accusation that greeted him instead. “I just got here? But if you want to hear a joke, I do have a book—”

“Oh, sure you just got here!” Naruto propped both hands against his hips, giving Sai a skeptical look. “And you couldn’t bother to open the door yourself? You had me running back and forth!”

“Of course I couldn’t open the door; you guys locked it. That’s why I knocked.”

“We didn’t lock it!”

“Well, it wouldn’t budge until I knocked and you opened it.”

“Couldn’t ya knock a bit more gently?!”

“Naruto, that’s enough,” Kakashi called to him. “You’re letting the cold come through. Let Sai in so that he can report.”

With another frustrated huff, the blonde ninja shuffled his way back to them, plopping down with a pout on his face. Naruto wouldn’t say it aloud, but Sasuke knew his ire was driven by terror. Terror of the idea that it might’ve been a ghost at the door instead of Sai. He held back a sigh as Sai reported the successful escort to Yukigakure with Rina towing in the medical supplies for the village.

_It’s just superstition. There’s no such thing as ghosts._

“So it’s as you expected, Lord Sixth, Sakura never made it to Yukigakure,” Sai continued, turning his attention to the woman in question still prone on the floor. “But I see you’ve found her anyway.”

“Sasuke found her,” Kakashi added.

“I just found her lying here.” Slipping his hand away from Sakura’s, he pressed it to her cheek to check her temperature a fourth time. Still as cold as ice. “Physically, it seems she’s fine. No wounds that we know of, but she might have healed herself beforehand.”

Sai crouched down beside Naruto for a closer examination of their unconscious teammate. “Has she woken up since?”

“I’m surprised she didn’t wake up from all that banging,” Naruto muttered, still spooked from earlier.

“A genjutsu?” Sasuke asked slowly, remembering that her chakra hadn’t looked disturbed the last time he’d checked her with his Sharingan.

Kakashi hummed in contemplation. “Sakura is not one to get trapped in a Genjutsu, but just to be sure…” His hands moved to make the Tiger sign. “Release!”

But the gentle tap to her forehead did nothing to wake the young woman from her slumber, and several pairs of shoulders slumped in disappointment. There was a stillness that fell over them as they contemplated over what could be wrong with the young woman, and what could they do to help her.

It didn't take long for anxiety to flood through Sasuke like a drug as the truth of their situation slowly set in.

Though none of the men dared to admit it, they all thought the same thing at that moment: they were at a complete loss for what to do. None of them even knew of any basic medical ninjutsu, and they certainly didn’t have the book smarts to even begin to understand what might be wrong with Sakura.

It was a strange situation, having to take care of the girl who’d always been the one to take care of them. When a member of the team was injured, it was the team medic who took care of them and helped them towards recovery. But what were they supposed to do when the teammate in need of help this time was none other than their own medic?

An awkward silence settled in as the men mulled over this thought in the privacy of their minds. One by one, they shifted uncomfortably as they each arrived at the same conclusion: they were utterly useless in this situation.

“Should we try slapping her?” Sai eventually proposed when the silence became unbearable. Sasuke frowned at him while Kakashi's brows shot up to his hairline, but Sai wasn't deterred. “Gently, of course, but firmly. A good smack will do.”

“S-S-S-S-Sai, are you nuts?!” Naruto grabbed his arm even though their additional teammate had yet to even move.

“But Naruto, you said that desperate times call for desperate measures, remember?”

“Not unless you’re asking for death!” Panicked blue eyes flicked down to the girl who could punt them through the roof with so much as a flick of her finger. When she still didn’t wake, Naruto lowered his voice into a harsh whisper. “Trust me, if you get on her bad side, she won’t heal you from the brink of death, and there’s nobody else who can do it either!”

“We’ll wait,” Sasuke said, closing his eyes to block them out.

“I like that plan!” Naruto nodded hard, still sweating from the idea of his ribs breaking because of Sakura hitting him out of retaliation for getting slapped. “Besides, Sakura-chan will punch you out of reflex even in her sleep and I don’t want to haul _two_ teammates back to the hospital.”

But Sai inclined his head towards Sakura and asked, “What’s that in the corner of her mouth?”

“Blood, but we don’t know whose,” answered Kakashi, still as intrigued as before by the stain. “It was also in her mouth but, for all we know, it’s Sakura’s blood and she just healed herself. It could be nothing but… well, there's not much else to inspect.”

“Shall I send a report to Lady Tsunade?”

“No, not yet,” Kakashi spoke slowly. “I want to wait until morning to see if Sakura will wake up. If she still hasn’t awoken by then, we’ll send a report to inform Lady Tsunade of her condition. Otherwise, there’s not much else we can do at the moment with her unconscious.”

“So we’re really going to sleep here?” Naruto croaked out, his face blanching when the older man nodded.

“Temperatures will continue to drop later in the night,” Sasuke reminded him. He honestly didn’t mind sleeping here in the middle of a snowstorm; he was used to much rougher terrain and had often slept outside in freezing temperatures with hardly a flicker of fire to warm his face. But he didn’t like the thought of Sakura, whose body remained ice cold like a corpse, staying in such harsh weather.

Kakashi hummed again, eyeing the simple black long-sleeve Sasuke wore as his only protection from the freezing weather since the young man had sacrificed both his cloaks for Sakura. But as if his soul raged like a quiet inferno itself, the Uchiha remained completely unperturbed to the icy breath of the hut. “The candles probably won’t be enough, so we’ll just have to huddle together for the night. But that shouldn’t be a problem for you, right Sasuke?”

Seeing the familiar outline of that smug grin behind the mask, Sasuke was thrown back to the faint memory of the many nights when he’d jolt awake from the nightmare of his clan’s corpses, only to feel the warmth of Sakura curled up beside him as she’d often scoot over to sleep at his side. Through the confusing haze of sleep, he’d gaze at her peaceful face before raising his eyes to the older man observing them from his perch above. And there would be that damn smug grin—the same grin he was giving Sasuke right now.

“No,” Sasuke said after a beat.

Kakashi’s eyes crinkled knowingly.

“Then can I sleep in the middle?” Naruto asked as the other men began to change clothes for the night. He followed suit, still eyeing the dark corners of the room with intense wariness.

“Sakura should be in the middle to receive the most body heat,” Kakashi explained, unfurling his bedroll beside the young woman. “I’ll take her other side. Her body is still too cold so we need to raise her temperature and keep her warm for the night. Sasuke, you and I will put our bedrolls together since Sakura doesn’t have hers.”

“Oh man, I don’t wanna sleep next to an old man!”

“This old man is your Hokage, you know…” Kakashi gave him an exasperated look as he helped Sasuke lift Sakura onto their combined bedrolls.

“I’ll be happy to sleep with you, Naruto.” Sai smiled amiably at him, already placing his bedroll next to the blonde companion. “If you want, we can even share blankets.”

“Sai, don’t make it any more weird than it already is!” Naruto groaned out, helplessly watching Sasuke quickly claim the space on Sakura’s other side. “A bunch of grown men sleeping together…” he grumbled, slipping in between Sai and Sasuke.

“Nobody’s stopping you from sleeping in the dark corner alone,” Sasuke told him with a slight smirk, but that smirk fell away when Naruto only scooted closer to him in response, not even trying to be subtle about it. He clicked his tongue, nudging his friend aside. “You’re on my bedroll.”

"How come you'll share with Sakura-chan but not me?!"

"Go share with Sai."

“Just scoot over, will ya?!”

“I can’t. Sakura’s on my other side.”

“So scoot closer to her then! Kakashi-sensei said we gotta huddle together to keep warm, y’know.”

“I don’t want to crush her either, dobe.”

“You’re just shy!" Naruto's voice dropped with smugness. "Haven’t felt the warm body of a woman pressed against you like this before, huh?”

“I’m not a pervert like you.”

"Don't be jealous just because you've never had—"

A flashlight clicked on, revealing the wide, steely eyes of Kakashi glaring at them over Sakura. “Should I let the both of you sleep on opposite sides of the room? In the dark corners by your lonesome?”

“Oh, come on, Sensei!” Naruto sat up, prompting Sasuke and Sai to do the same as it was a bit too early to sleep yet. “Do we really have to sleep here for tonight? What if a gh-gho…” Unable to say the g-word this late in the night, Naruto gulped. “What if something comes while we’re sleeping?”

Pulling out a familiar orange book that had a severe crease down its spine, Kakashi shrugged, flipping through to a certain page with his flashlight aimed at it. “Luckily for you, Rina did say it might be a curse instead of a haunting.”

“How does that make me lucky?!”

Sasuke frowned as Naruto’s voice pierced through his right ear and he turned on his side to face Sakura. Her face was angled slightly towards him, lips parted just enough for the warmth of her breathing to tickle his nose.

“I thought you were only scared of ghosts?” Kakashi reached over to adjust the blankets over Sakura before laying back with an arm behind his head. Sensing Naruto’s confusion, he flipped to the next page of his book before adding, “A curse and a haunting are two different things. A curse is something that brings misfortune or harm to you, usually prompted by an object or an incantation. A haunting, on the other hand, is when a malevolent spirit is attached to a place, but I guess you could always just leave the haunted place so long as you survive.”

“So if the house is cursed, we would’ve already experienced something harmful like… the roof collapsing on us?” Sai asked from the opposite side of Kakashi and the older man nodded. “And if it’s haunted, we’d be seeing ghosts?”

“That’s usually how it goes in the films.”

“That really doesn’t make me feel any better, Kakashi-sensei… What if it really is a ghost instead of a curse though?”

“Haven’t you already survived several ghost encounters?” Kakashi flipped another page. The flashlight in his hands flickered before dying out, and he sighed, muttering about the batteries. “Well, I wouldn't be too concerned. Sakura’s still alive… we’ll probably be fine too.”

“Probably?!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be taking the first watch so you can rest in peace, Naruto.”

“Aw man, don’t say it like that!”

Laying still in the blanket he shared with Sakura, Sasuke listened for the next hour to the sound of Kakashi turning the pages of his book. He wondered how their former sensei was even able to read when there was hardly any light left to the point that he could barely make out the purple diamond centered over Sakura’s forehead. Contrary to Kakashi’s idea, even the moonlight couldn’t spare them any mercy for it had chosen to remain hidden behind the clouds and the thick haze of the storm. In a few minutes, they’d be lying in pitch-black darkness just as Sasuke had been earlier.

Outside, the wind continued to moan and he felt Naruto shift restlessly beside him for the umpteenth time. Holding back a sigh, Sasuke counted the seconds until—

“Argh! It’s too cold in here—I can’t take it anymore!”

Yup, there it was.

“I’m freezing my butt off here,” Naruto muttered as the sound of fabric rustling came from his side.

Sasuke opened his eyes, keeping his gaze forward and on Sakura’s face. There was more rustling—Naruto’s pack, it sounded like—followed by the hard **_‘scritch’_ ** of a match striking against a box. Golden light just barely bathed the group but the single flame of the candle wasn’t enough to even reach the walls.

"Ah, that feels better."

Suddenly, darkness enveloped them once more.

Naruto huffed and rummaged through the box for another match.

**_Scritch!_ **

There was a second of light once more before it winked out, leaving them in the dark all the same.

“What the…”

“Are you breathing on the candle?” Sasuke asked.

“No,” Naruto snapped at him, “of course not!”

**_Scritch!_ **

Light—then dark.

The floorboards groaned as Kakashi shifted, no doubt to check if the Uzumaki was just fooling around. "Naruto, just take out your flashlight."

"But I want some warmth too—" **_Scritch!_ **

Light flickered, casting strange shadows on the wall for a moment. Sasuke's eyes flitted away from Sakura’s face and to the blotted shadow on the wall closest to Kakashi. Just as he began to wonder if it was Naruto’s figure, the room went dark again. There was more rustling as Naruto blindly searched his pack to try another candle instead. While waiting, Sasuke reached a hand out to touch Sakura’s face, his fingers tracing along the soft angle of her jawline.

**_Scritch!_ **

Ice blue eyes stared wide-eyed at Sasuke as a woman—her long, ebony hair matted to her wan face with blood—took the place where Sakura had just been. A grunt of surprise caught in his throat and he instinctively jerked his hand away from the face he’d been touching, his elbow slamming into Naruto’s side.

“Hey!” Naruto protested as the candle winked out again.

The moment the room fell back into complete darkness, Sasuke sat up, letting his obsidian eye bleed into a ruby red. Sakura’s unconscious face greeted him in clear detail but he continued to stare at her with his Sharingan, heart still hammering in his chest by the unfamiliar face that had replaced hers for just a split second. Focusing, he glimpsed into the chakra within her body, his breaths evening when he saw the familiar spring green color of her chakra steadily coursing through.

**_Click!_ **

The powerful, bright beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness and landed on Sasuke’s face, nearly blinding him.

“Well, at least my flashlight still works!” Naruto held it up triumphantly, ignoring the scowl Sasuke cast at him.

“Is something wrong, Sasuke?” Kakashi asked, having set his book aside since he hadn’t been able to read in the dark.

_It was just for a second that I thought I saw someone else, but Kakashi didn't see that woman?_

Sasuke stole another glance at Sakura’s sleeping face before giving a slow shake of his head in reply. If Kakashi hadn’t noticed anything then… He rubbed his eyes, wondering if all this darkness and dancing shadows were making him see things that weren’t actually there. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen shadow people before, but sleep paralysis hadn’t been an issue for him since graduating from the Academy. Not to mention that he hadn’t even fallen asleep yet… right? But then when he’d chased Sakura into the hut earlier, he didn’t remember ever falling asleep at that time either. It’d been like walking directly into a dream…

“No way! Sai’s already sleeping?!” Naruto’s hushed voice interrupted his thinking.

“He’s no doubt exhausted from having to fly back and forth through a snowstorm. You guys should get some rest too.” Reaching over for Naruto’s flashlight, Kakashi aimed it at the _Icha Icha_ book that had found its way back to his hand. “I’ll take watch for the night. Make sure no bed ghosts don’t bite.”

“Very funny, Kakashi-sensei…”

But with the weariness of their day-long journey weighing his eyelids down, it didn’t take long for Naruto to fall into a deep sleep, indicated by his heavy snoring. Even the sharp creaks of the roof didn’t send him jumping in alarm.

Leaning further onto his side towards Sakura to relieve the pressure on his amputated arm, Sasuke dared to reach his hand for her again.

Soft, rosy locks slipped through his calloused fingers like pure silk. It reminded him of the many nights when she’d fret over the tangled knots in her hair after a long mission. She’d stopped fretting the day she’d chopped those locks off during the Chunin exams.

His fingers slid up the cold silk strands until his knuckles brushed against the bangs hanging haphazardly across her forehead. Gently, he tucked the bangs aside until he could clearly see the amethyst seal. His index finger tapped against it as he faintly wondered how much power was stored within it now after all these years since she’d first released it—

“Go to sleep.”

Sasuke’s finger froze against Sakura’s forehead.

“She’ll be fine, Sasuke,” Kakashi murmured from the other side of the young woman in question. There was a pause, and then, "But you should probably hold her close to you for the night. Share your body warmth."

"That's…" He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I don't have to worry about you being a gentleman for Sakura, right?" When Sasuke didn't respond, Kakashi shifted. "Or I'll hold her for the night."

There was just a beat, and then Sasuke was scooting closer to Sakura until her gentle breaths fanned across his face. Ignoring the sound of Kakashi chuckling in the background, he let his hand slide around the graceful dip just above the swell of her hip. Her waist felt slim in his hold as he tucked her against the length of his body, only stopping when he felt the swell of her breast brushing his chest. Cherry blossom locks tickled his cheek and it took him a moment to remember how to breathe again.

"Just remember to not let your hands wander too far, Sasuke."

He scowled at the older, and far more perverted man on the other side but said nothing as he drew his hand back under the cover of the blanket. His heart thrummed loudly in his ears as Sasuke debated for a bit before sliding his hand down the length of Sakura's bare arm and then slipping into her own hand. Oh so slowly, as if terrified that someone would suddenly accuse him of inappropriately touching the young woman in her sleep, he laced his fingers with her cold, slim ones. Without both hands, it was all he could offer her at the moment.

 _Are you feeling warmer now?_ he asked her in his mind.

Feeling her calm breath caress his cheeks in a steady rhythm, he kept his attention fixated on Sakura even as his eyelids eventually began to flutter with fatigue.

_“Can I sleep with you, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura whispered to him over the soft hush of the crickets._

_He frowned, turning his head aside to see if the girl laying a few feet away from him was actually serious. Bright green eyes peered back, almost glowing in the dark like a cat, and they conveyed a sense of urgency and need to him._

_“No way, you’ve got your own bedroll.” Sasuke turned his face forward and away from her, closing his eyes to shut out the sight of the starry night sky._

_“W-Well, what about side by side?” she pressed him._

_“You can sleep with me, Sakura-chan! I’ll protect you!”_

_“No way, you move too much in your sleep!”_

_“Aw, come on, Sakura-chan!”_

_Fabric rustled nearby, the sound of it growing louder and nearer. Peeping an eye open, Sasuke looked over to find a wriggling mass of blankets and pink hair squirming its way over to him with determination. Just over her shoulder, he caught a flash of blonde hair also trailing after her._

_“Sakura, nothing’s going to hurt you,” Kakashi sighed from his perch above them. “I promised you guys, didn’t I?”_

_“I-I know, Kakashi-sensei, but…” Sakura pulled her blanket all the way up to her nose when a branch snapped nearby. Emerald cat eyes flitted side to side, wide with unease before settling onto Sasuke. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the anxious weight of her gaze on him and he suppressed a tired sigh when she meekly called out once more, “Sasuke-kun?”_

_“Sakura, just close your eyes and go to sleep.”_

_“Could you at least… face me?”_

_He finally opened his eyes, calm obsidian clashing with pleading emerald._

_“I would feel more at ease if I felt like someone’s watching over me,” she whispered to him even though Naruto and Kakashi could definitely hear her. “S-So… could you keep your face towards me when you go to sleep?”_

_“Kakashi’s already keeping an eye on us,” Sasuke grunted back, ignoring the observant stare of the man himself._

_“I know, but…” She raised the blanket higher until it brushed against her bottom lashes. “But I want you, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura said, her whisper muffled beneath the sheet, and Sasuke was certain that only he had heard her this time._

_With tonight being their first night having to camp out together on a mission, it was natural that there would be strange noises here and there, all around them. Sakura knew that herself, but it seemed the girl was still uncomfortable with having to sleep in the open dark. She probably felt vulnerable, though there was nothing to fear. Still, Sasuke supposed she couldn’t help it. Being the only member of the team who still had parents she could live with, it was natural that she went to bed every night feeling safe in the haven her parents offered her. For Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi though… they’d spent the majority of their lives going to sleep in the utter silence and darkness of their home._

_They didn’t have the privilege of having family nearby in case of an emergency. They didn’t have a comforting hand to stroke away the tension that creased their brows when a nightmare had been too scary. Unlike her, they were familiar with the aching darkness._

_And Sakura needed to learn that she wouldn’t be able to have such privileges all the time._

_At least, that’s what Sasuke thought._

_But then he exhaled quietly and merely closed his eyes in response. Sakura seemed to watch him for a while, still tense with the fear that he had chosen to ignore her childish request. But when he didn’t turn away from her for what felt like at least ten long minutes, she relaxed into her bedroll with a soft rustle, satisfied with his silent answer and even more grateful for his shy kindness._

His eyelids finally fell shut as sleep lulled Sasuke to the dark recesses of his mind. The last thing he saw in the dim light of his surroundings was Sakura’s peaceful face gently framed by those locks that had felt like the silk petals of a cherry blossom in his hand. Before his consciousness surrendered to sleep, Sasuke faintly wondered if he would’ve been able to smell her usual Minty Rainforest Mist shampoo had he possessed the courage to lean in just a bit closer.

Once sleep took him under, it took him a full hour to fall into a deep slumber, joining his other two exhausted teammates.

It took another hour for a cold drowsiness to work its way into Kakashi’s system, unexpected and unnatural. He didn’t notice how the temperature had dropped until his breaths began to pass through the mask in small white puffs. Without warning, his eyelids suddenly felt like heavy sandbags and the words on the pages of his book blurred. Sleep stole upon him like a thief in the night, prompting the book in his hand to topple onto his chest.

The flashlight rolled from his hand and across the wooden floorboard, flickering on and off…

On and off…

On…

And then _off_.

The four men continued sleeping, unaware that they’d been swallowed up by the chilled darkness once again.

And in that darkness, Sakura’s eyelids began to flutter.

* * *

**Author's Note**

This fic's summary says that it's loosely inspired by John Carpenter's _The Fog_. While _The Fog_ is what gave me the idea for this story, there are other works that contain elements that have inspired some elements in this story. Those elements could be as minor as a design detail or as major as a story theme. If you are familiar with any of the works below, you MIGHT recognize specifically _where_ in that listed work that the inspiration comes from. But again, sometimes the inspiration comes from details that are superfluous in the grand scheme of things, sometimes it comes from details that are in your face, and sometimes it comes from the more allegorical details.

That said, here are the films, shows, and literary works that inspired certain elements of this story. The list is in order of most to least inspiring works.

  1. **John Carpenter's The Fog (1980)**
  2. **The Wretched (2019)**
  3. **Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)**
  4. **Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)**
  5. **The Hole in the Ground (2019)**
  6. **The Haunting of Hill House (2018)**
  7. **The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)**
  8. **"The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James**
  9. **Get Out (2017)**
  10. **Triangle (2009)**
  11. **The Prodigy (2019)**
  12. **"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe**
  13. **"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe**
  14. **"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe**
  15. **"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge**
  16. **Atonement (2007)**



You may have noticed that half of the works listed are Gothic fiction with a chunk being the most inspiring for this fic. That's the reason why this fic is tagged with "A Little Horror" and not just "horror". Gothic fiction is a genre of horror that mixes death with romance. It typically contains a gloomy setting or a place of decay, curses, supernatural forces, and extreme emotions such as terror. Gothic fiction relies heavily on your suspension of disbelief and the power of _mysterious_ imagination. So that's just something to keep in mind when you're cooking up your own theories. Personally, I think the truth about the hut and its history is a lot more simple than you may be thinking, especially if you understand the themes of Naruto. So theorize all you want, but it's probably not as complicated as you might think!

On another note, this song (this specific version of it) was major inspiration for this story's romance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day 🥰


	10. Night Terrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be multiple shifts in POV for this chapter!

**SASUKE**

They’re dead.

They’re all dead.

Those were the words that continued to run through Sasuke’s mind as he sat at the dock, eyeing his reflection in the water as he had been since this morning. Because where else could he go? He had no home. Nobody to come home to. He was all alone and all because of that man who stared back at him with those blood-red eyes.

The Mangekyō Sharingan.

There was that burning in Sasuke’s own eyes again, but not as intense as when his Sharingan had awakened upon seeing Itachi… No, the burning in his eyes was just from tears. Tears that had yet to be shed because his eyes had become tired of crying nonstop for days.

Meanwhile, Itachi’s face continued to stare back at him, silent and… sad.

With a scowl, Sasuke grabbed another pebble and threw it at the face in the lake, letting the ripples destroy the figure until his own pathetic face had replaced his brother’s.

He would kill him. He would.

He would avenge his clan and restore their honor and name.

He would kill his own brother and anyone else who got in his way if he had to.

From now on, that would be Sasuke Uchiha’s sole purpose for living. Because from now on, he was all alone with only his desire for revenge to keep him company.

“What’s wrong with your forehead? It’s sooo huge!”

“Yeah, I could cook a whole breakfast on it!”

The sudden raucous voices that pierced through the tranquil air had Sasuke scowling even harder in annoyance. He glanced over his shoulder to glare away those who’d dared to encroach on the dock he’d claimed for himself.

A group of kids was huddled together, a bunch of boys his age who were all fixated on something in the center of their circle. Vibrant hair the color of cherry blossoms in full bloom flashed in between the heads of the boys as they sneered and laughed at whoever they’d made their victim.

A girl.

A girl with tearful eyes the color of spring green that were messily framed by pink locks. She stood trapped in the middle of the group, hunched in on herself with both fists raised not to defend herself but to rub at the tears staining her cheeks.

By some higher power, those jade orbs flicked over to meet Sasuke’s deadened gaze; a silent plea for help.

But then one of the boys reached out and flicked her forehead hard enough to make her stumble back, her foot slipping on the grassy hill. They all cheered and chased after her as she went tumbling down, and down, and down the slope until she finally slid to a stop just at the edge of the lake.

Whimpering slightly, she stood up on shaky legs, her porcelain face nicked by the sharp blades of grass that also now stuck out of her pink hair haphazardly.

“Haha! Now you look like a plant too!” One of the boys with a mousy face and wearing a ratty brown ponytail jeered at her. “A girl with a big forehead and a plant on her head!”

His friends joined in on the laughter, pointing and guffawing like it was the funniest joke in the world.

“I wanna pluck some cherry blossoms!” Another boy with a drippy nose said, stepping forward to grab the girl by her cherry pink bangs.

The girl cried out in pain, her small hands locking around the boy’s wrist in a feeble attempt to remove his hand. But he had a tight grip in her locks and every tug only brought her more pain and whimpering. Seeing the agony on her face only egged on the others as they cheered on their friend to pull harder.

Mouse Face interrupted them by dashing forward to scoop up some water from the lake’s edge. He turned around, grinning wickedly as the water sloshed around in his cupped hands. “Hold on a minute, don’t you think she looks like she’s wilting? Let’s water her first!”

They all conceded with eager nods, each of their faces breaking out into a grin that matched Mouse Face’s as he carefully stepped closer to the girl. She tried to turn away to escape, but the other boy only tightened his hold on her bangs to keep her in place.

“I… I’m gonna tell my friend!” The girl finally spoke up, sweet voice wavering with fear and pain. “She’ll kick your butt! S-So you better let me go!”

“What friend?” snickered Drippy Nose. “You don’t even have any friends ‘cause your gigantic forehead scared them off!”

They shrieked in laughter once again, the cacophony of their cruelty sending up some birds that’d been resting in a nearby tree.

“Yeah! You’re _all alone!_ ” Mouse Face sneered at her, slowly raising his cupped hand higher and closer to her head. “All alo—ah!” A howl of agony suddenly escaped him as he staggered back, hands pulling away and spilling water onto the grass as he touched the gash that’d magically appeared on his forehead. He looked around wildly in search of who had thrown—there! “Hey, you!” Mouse Face yelled at the boy sitting a few feet away on the dock and already gripping another stone in his hand. “Were you the one who threw that rock at—”

There was a sharp _**‘zip!’**_ in the air and Mouse Face cried out again as that next rock struck him at the exact same spot as the first time. He stumbled back, blood running down his eye now as he tried to glare at the boy who’d already armed himself with another stone. But Mouse Face’s glare faltered as he met the raven-haired boy’s own eyes that seemed to swallow him in like an abyss. It was like looking at death right in the eye.

“H-Hey, isn’t that… that Uchiha kid?” one of the boys asked, already taking a few steps back.

“Wait, the one whose clan just got slaughtered?!”

Confused, the girl glanced between the boy staring from the docks and the boys around her now falling back.

“Crap! If we get too close to him then we might end up killed too! Run away!”

Following Mouse Face’s lead, they dispersed like cockroaches, scrambling to get as far away as possible.

Hmph. Turning away, Sasuke sat back down at the edge of the dock, letting his feet dangle above the calm water. He returned his attention to his own reflection, but it was hard to ignore the curious gaze now burning into the back of his head. The girl was staring at him.

He watched his frown deepen in his reflected face, wondering how long it would take for the girl to flee like the other kids had. But when a full minute passed and he still sensed her eyes on him, Sasuke slowly turned to peer at her over his shoulder. Vivid green clashed with cold coal-black as their gazes met—

“Sakura!”

The girl looked away from him and over to the woman striding towards her with furrowed brows and hands on her hips.

“Mama!” Wiping at her face, the girl then dashed up the hill, crashing happily into her mother’s arms.

“Where have you been?!” The woman eyed her beneath the single blond bang hanging over the center of her face. Noticing the bits of grass still decorating the girl’s pink head, the woman’s brows pinched further with concern. Sighing, she plucked the grass out before grabbing her daughter’s hand to tug her along. “Ino came by to look for you after you kept her waiting. Honestly, you shouldn't be dawdling around."

Trailing after the woman hand in hand, Sakura glanced back at the boy still watching her with a look that was blank, but also lacked the dark anger that’d been directed at the bullies. He looked away as soon as their eyes met once more.

“Hey, Mama? Who is that boy?” the little girl asked, pointing at the boy sitting at the dock.

“Hm?” Her mother followed the direction of the girl’s finger and her face shifted with apprehension. “That boy..? That’s Sasuke Uchiha… But I don’t want you hanging around him,” the woman said, tugging at her daughter’s hand to pull the girl’s attention away from the boy. “Do you hear me, Sakura?”

Jade orbs blinked up at her mother with innocence. “But why?”

“Because that child’s blood… is cursed.”

Cursed, yes, that’s what Sasuke was.

He was cursed with being the sole survivor of his clan’s massacre. He was cursed with having his own once-beloved brother be the mastermind behind the said massacre. And he was cursed with the power contained in these eyes that were destined to witness more tragedy in the future. Yes, he was a cursed child.

Even so, hearing those words…

Sasuke gritted his teeth and threw his last stone at the face reflecting back at him in the water. Shooting up to his feet, he ran. Away from the docks, away from all those people who gave him such strange, foreign looks, and away from everyone who could never hope to understand anything about him.

He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him as if Itachi was hunting him through the empty streets of the Uchiha district once again. And somehow, by some miraculous power, he found that his feet had carried him all the way back to the deserted Uchiha compound.

His heart was beating so hard in his chest as he walked past the yellow tapes that were supposed to deter outsiders. It wasn’t like anyone would’ve wanted to trespass anyway; not when they were terrified of the tragedy that’d befallen the Uchiha clan. So there was nobody to stop Sasuke as he dared to open the front door of his former home and step in, one foot at a time. There was blood everywhere, dried and staining the white walls. He could practically smell the copper lingering in the air despite it being already a week since…

His feet stopped at the door. The same door he’d opened to find that man standing mercilessly over his parent’s corpses.

Slowly, Sasuke opened it.

But instead of finding the sad ghosts of his parents, his eyes fell upon Itachi once more.

His feet continued to move towards his big brother who carried no weapon but merely the ghost of a gentle smile. Closer, and closer, and… Wordlessly, Itachi raised his right hand and reached for Sasuke.

* * *

**KAKASHI**

It was the murmuring that had Kakashi peeling open his eyes.

At first, he thought it was Naruto sleeptalking, or maybe even Sasuke or Sai had woken up and were talking to each other… in the middle of the night… for some reason. But when Kakashi opened his eyes and sat up, he found that his teammates were completely gone, including Sakura herself. But gone where? And at this time? He scratched the back of his head, his breath seeping through his mask in small white puffs as he looked around in a daze in search of where everyone had disappeared to.

But he was completely alone with nothing but that strange murmuring as his sole company. It was coming from somewhere behind him, in the far and dark corner of the room, it sounded like. And as Kakashi listened closely for whatever words that might’ve been spoken, he realized that he did not recognize that person’s voice at all.

It had a low timbre, but soft with youth. It was the voice of a young man. And yet, Kakashi knew that voice did not belong to Naruto, Sasuke, or even Sai. Slowly, he peeked over his shoulder and stilled at the dark figure huddling in the corner right where the broken beam in the ceiling hung above him. The figure was male as indicated by the outline of his broad shoulders despite his hunched position.

Silently standing to his feet, Kakashi kept a wary eye trained on this unwelcomed guest as he reached into his pack for a kunai.

His fingers grazed the frozen floorboards and nothing else.

What? What happened to his stuff?

The man in the corner mumbled something to himself again, too low for Kakashi to make any sense of even as he cautiously crept closer.

It was with a startle that he realized his sharp nose picked up no distinct smell from this room; not Naruto’s, Sasuke’s, Sakura’s, or Sai’s. Not even the stranger before him or his own scent. It was like someone had taken away his sense of smell, forcing Kakashi to rely on his other ninja senses. But like his nose, he couldn’t pick up on anything and, were it not for his own eyes and ears, he wouldn’t have been able to notice the figure in the corner.

That same figure fumbled with something in his hands: a loop of rope.

“Who are you?” Kakashi finally dared to ask.

The man did not answer.

Squinting through the darkness, Kakashi stepped a little closer to get a better look at him.

Closer… The hairs on the back of his neck rose up sharply.

Closer… There was a pounding in his ears that came from the quickening thumps of his heartbeat.

Closer… He cautiously stopped just within arm’s length behind the figure.

“Who are you?” Kakashi asked once more, loud and clear this time. Firm with the tone of a Hokage who meant business.

The stranger continued to mumble, hands tracing the loop of the rope.

Very carefully, Kakashi reached out and grasped the man’s shoulder. He anticipated some sort of attack or maybe even the man spinning around in reaction to someone touching him. What he did not anticipate was the soft sob that broke the man’s mumbling. The grief and misery in that little sound were so profound that Kakashi swore he could feel the man’s agony resonate deep in his own chest, sending a little throb of pain like a kunai nicking his heart.

He grunted quietly at the strange sensation but kept a firm hold on the stranger’s shoulder which he noticed was slightly quaking as another sob tore through him.

“Hey,” Kakashi murmured, still wary but he softened his voice just a little. “Who are you?”

The shadowed figure froze, hands gripping the rope so tightly that his knuckles went bone-white.

“They hate you… They all hate you.”

Hearing those words instead of a string of mumbles only left Kakashi frowning in befuddlement. And although he’d finally spoken aloud, the figure made no move to properly address Kakashi. Instead, he continued to sob as if trapped in his own bubble of despair with no awareness of his surroundings.

“You don’t belong here!” the man rambled… to himself?

He made no other sign of acknowledging Kakashi who surmised that the man wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hold a proper conversation much less explain what in the world he was doing here and how did he get in.

Sighing, Kakashi let him go and turned around to look for his teammates. It was strange and very out of character that they would just leave him behind like that, and he didn’t even know how they’d managed to bring Sakura along with them. Was this a prank Naruto had set up in retaliation for making them stay in what was allegedly a haunted or even cursed place? No, his successor was no longer that prankster of a child all those years ago. Besides, Sasuke and Sai wouldn’t stand to just do something so foolish as to stand outside in the cold with a possibly injured comrade all for the sake of a gag.

And if something had happened to them, surely he would’ve woken up to any commotion. He was starting to get on in age, but the legendary Copy Ninja was far from senile.

“You don’t belong here!”

Ignoring the man still mumbling, Kakashi made his way to the window to survey the outside in case his teammates were hiding there after all. The blizzard had died down now, leaving not a single snowflake drifting in the air. But past the many yards of snow that covered the land, he narrowed his eyes at the sight of several figures in the distance. There were seven of them in total, all stiffly lined up like dolls on a shelf. He couldn’t quite make out their appearance, but not one of them looked anything like his former students.

There was something eerie about the way they just stood there in the snow and, the longer Kakashi stared at them, the more he wondered if they were staring back at him in return.

The slight chill that ran down his back was enough to answer that question.

Such suspicion had him backing away from the window, but he eyed the door and considered if he should go out and confront the group of strangers outside. His heavy footsteps resounded loudly against the creaking floorboards as Kakashi slowly trekked his way over to the door.

If they were an enemy, then they wouldn’t be so bold or foolish as to just stand out there in the open for anyone to see them. But, at the same time, they definitely were not his allies; that much he could tell. So who were they?

Hesitantly, he grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

But it was locked.

For some reason, he was both relieved and concerned by that. Before he could even consider busting the door open, a choked grunt pulled his attention back to the stranger in the corner.

Steel-grey eyes widened at the sight of—

“Stop!” Kakashi cried out, running forward to help the shadowed figure now dangling from the ceiling with the rope tight around his neck. Dropping into a crouch, he flicked his hand out and waited for the vibrant color of purple electricity to engulf his fingers so that he could cut the rope line. But a moment passed as he watched the stranger flail helplessly in the air and then Kakashi glanced down to his hand that remained absent of his signature purple lightning. Why?!

His fingers wove into the Horse sign, but no shadow clone appeared.

Why were his jutsus not working?!

With no time to ponder on that question, Kakashi ran forth and caught the figure around his legs. He lifted the man up, though his legs kicked and trashed against Kakashi’s face as if in an attempt to thwart his efforts.

No equipment, no jutsu… He contemplated the idea of leaping onto the beam and untying the knot holding the man up but, upon closer inspection, the knot looked far more complicated than his bare hands could handle. There wasn’t enough time to figure it all out without letting the victim choke to death or worse: snap his neck.

Damn it, where was his team when he needed them?!

When the man’s knee struck him in the nose, Kakashi hissed in pain before looking over his shoulder to call for someone to help. Anyone.

“Naruto! Sasuke! Sai!”

No response.

“Hrk!” The figure in his arms flailed harder now, more frantically.

“Naruto! Sa—” Peering back up at the figure he struggled to hold up, Kakashi’s words died on his tongue as he stared up in horror of the face he saw.

No… it was impossible!

“Fa… Father?”

Sakumo Hatake’s tongue bulged out of his bluish face as the older man gazed back at his son. For just a brief moment, Kakashi let go to step back in surprise. A strained gurgle then escaped Sakumo’s mouth, prompting Kakashi to surge forth in an attempt to hoist him again. He was met with a sharp kick to the face and the younger Hatake was forced back.

“Father, stop it!” Kakashi cried out.

No, this wasn’t real! This couldn’t be real!

He shuffled back, knees beginning to buckle with fear now as he watched his father commit suicide right before his eyes. It was like he was five years old all over again.

“It’s not real,” Kakashi muttered, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the nightmare before him. “It’s not real!”

It’s a dream—it has to be!

He took another step back, but something stiff nudged the nape of his neck and a stronger chill ran down his back as he felt the shock of ice penetrate the cloth of his turtleneck. There was something behind him, but every instinct in his body screamed to not turn around. But it was either that or continue watching his father—his father who’d already died long ago by suicide—die all over again.

Haltingly, Kakashi turned around.

This time, he fell back as he was met with the sight of Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and even Sakura… each of them dangling from the ceiling. Bare feet swung stiffly as if they’d hung themselves just a second earlier… as if he’d been a second too late to save them.

Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. “No…”

Their faces were blue and slumped forth so that they almost looked asleep and, in a sense, they were. They were asleep and would remain so for eternity because… they were dead.

They were all dead.

He hesitated for what felt like an eternity before reaching a hand out to grasp the pale blue fabric of Naruto’s pants that he’d changed into before tucking into his bedroll just hours ago. But the sensation of something brushing his chest had Kakashi reluctantly peering down at himself. He had just a split second to eye the necklace of rope before he was yanked up into the darkness to meet his team’s fate.

But it wasn’t real.

None of it was real.

It was all just a bad dream and if he squeezed his eyes hard enough then surely it would all go away, right?

Or so he told himself.

And yet the pain of the itchy rope digging into his neck felt much too surreal. The cold numbness stealing away all sensation from his fingertips and feet felt too surreal. The burning in his lungs for air felt too surreal as well.

 _It’s just a dream!_ he insisted to himself even as the darkness bled into his vision. _It’s just a dream! Wake up, Kakashi! Wake up!_

He squeezed his eyes shut once more… and then opened them.

He was still inside the hut, hanging helplessly alongside his dead team.

This was no dream; this was a complete nightmare.

* * *

**NARUTO**

The young Uzumaki remained fixated at his spot in the center of the hut as he spun around in search of his missing team who all, for some reason, had decided it would be a fun prank to leave him here! And if it really was a prank, then the mastermind could only be their own team leader who was probably finding a sick sense of amusement in the way Naruto was trembling with fear right now.

“Guys, this isn’t funny!” he shouted, itching for a kunai or something he could use to defend himself with. He’d tried entering Sage mode earlier but, for the strangest reason that he couldn’t fathom, he was unable to gather any natural energy to blend with his chakra. And then when he’d tried to summon a clone to keep him company, his sign had produced nothing but an aching silence.

“Okay, you’ve got me!” He said aloud, hoping someone—anyone, really—could hear him. “I’m scared, all right?! Ha-ha, laugh all you want! Just come out already!”

But somehow, deep in his gut, he knew that he was completely and utterly alone. It was hard to stave off that thought, but the dread that’d been trickling down his back since he’d awoken, freezing and alone, was now a coursing river that swept a wave of panic over him. Damn it, what the hell was going on?! Had they really just left him alone here?!

Well, fine! He had never wanted to stay in this creepy damn hut anyway!

With a huff, Naruto made his way to the door, more than eager to just get out and find that inn in Hanabana village where the old perverted innkeeper would surely be more than happy to take his ryo. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about freezing to death in his sleep. And a quick glance through the window showed that the blizzard had already died down, so it should be fine to go out, right?

But when Naruto’s hand locked around the knob, he found that the door refused to budge. Ugh, was it jammed again? He grunted, pressing and pulling with all his weight on it, but it wouldn’t give… until—

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

He’d been pulling back on it with feet braced against the floor when the wood of the door trembled from the aggressive force of the knocks. Suddenly, the doorknob that’d been frozen in place turned in Naruto’s hand and he fell back as the person on the other side flung the door wide open.

Groaning and rubbing his sore butt, Naruto sighed in relief as he caught the familiar glint of the Leaf hitai-ate. “Finally! What? Did you guys go out for a tinkle or…” His eyes widened as he stared up at a group of people who were _definitely_ not his teammates. He didn’t recognize a single person of the seven staring down at him with such cold and cruel eyes. Not one person save for… the man that lurched towards him with that same malicious gaze.

Except it was then that Naruto knew this all had to be a dream… because the man looming before him had died several years ago at the hands of his sibling apprentice.

Jiraiya didn’t say a word as he reached out and wrapped a cold hand around his neck, and Naruto was too shocked by the sight of his old master to stop him as he was lifted off his bare feet and then thrown onto his back, crashing against the frozen floorboards like he was nothing more than an enemy to be defeated.

Ow! What the… this was supposed to be a dream, right?! Then why the hell did it feel so real?!

 _Kurama!_ Calling forth the Kyūbi within him, Naruto crouched into a defensive stance as the seven men including Jiraiya began to surround him. There was no response from the fox. _Kurama, are you napping?! Wake up!_

Nothing. It was like utter radio silence. No, more than that, he couldn’t even sense the tailed beast within him as if he wasn’t even its Jinchūriki anymore. But that shouldn’t be possible! Or was it possible because he was in a dream?

Jiraiya surged forward and Naruto retaliated with several quick jabs that were all blocked effortlessly by his former master. He pivoted on his heel to strike him across the face, but he felt his foot caught in midair at the same time he saw the glint of a blade and kicked his whole body up with his free foot to avoid the slice.

“That’s so not fair!” He twisted around in a short imitation of Sasuke’s old Lion’s Barrage, knocking aside the others encroaching all around him. Jiraiya was forced to release him and Naruto dropped down before rolling aside to escape the trap of their huddle. Each of the figures carried a kunai in one hand and he could _feel_ as just as much as he could _see_ the murderous hatred that seethed from their intense gazes. There was something familiar about the way they looked at him… A shudder ran through Naruto as he realized they were looking at him the same way the villagers back home used to look at him as a child: with sheer hatred and bitterness.

“Stop it!” Naruto said, slowly backing away from them. “Stop looking at me like that! What the hell did I ever do to you?!”

But the acidity of their unbridled contempt continued to burn onto his face as they kept their eyes trained on him, following his every movement.

Naruto shook his head. “Jiraiya-sensei! All of you… please! Stop looking at me like that!”

They merely raised their kunais in response.

“If this is my dream, why do you guys get weapons and I don’t?!”

Right, this was his dream! All he had to do was think!

Taking a chance to close his eyes, his face scrunched up as he tried to imagine his weapons pouch appearing at his hip… or even Kurama. Something—anything!

But he felt nothing save for the cold sting of a kunai scoring his cheek as he narrowly dodged that next strike… only to stumble against Jiraiya. The burly arms of his master wrapped around him like chains and Naruto yelled out when all six other men grabbed his limbs and wrestled him down to the icy floor. His yell rose into a cry of indignation when Jiraiya grabbed the hem of his nightshirt and yanked it up to expose his stomach.

"Hey! The hell are you doing to me?!"

Okay, he knew the Pervy Sage was a huge pervert but did he have to be a pervert in his dreams too?!

Struggling against the six strangers pinning his hands and feet down, Naruto then froze as he watched Jiraiya poise the kunai against his stomach and slowly raised it up. Oh, this wasn’t a dream—this was a nightmare! He began to thrash harder now, silently urging for Kurama to answer to his plea for help.

The kunai flashed as it swung down on him.

* * *

**SAI**

He was on his seventh scroll now, hurriedly painting in the attempt to make his drawings come to life so that his mice could track down the whereabouts of his missing teammates. Admittedly, it was hard drawing in the dark and having to squint at his lines but, with a practiced hand, it wasn’t so difficult to paint his mice as it was to animate them with his chakra. The other six scrolls he’d used and discarded had also failed to produce any of his Super Beasts, though he couldn’t fathom why.

The chakra infused in the ink should’ve responded to his will.

It didn’t.

And when he couldn’t even summon a clone, the faintest threads of panic had begun to tighten in his chest at that. So he had spent his time, biding for the possible return of his teammates by continuing to paint. It wasn’t like there was much else he could do when even the door of the hut remained locked, trapping him within for who knew how long this supposed dream would end.

And it was a strange dream. The kind that was much too lucid compared to the few dreams he would have. The kind that was so surreal that it blurred the lines between fantasy and reality because even that pinch to the arm that he’d given himself earlier had elicited a pain that matched the exact kind of pain he would’ve felt in the real world. And the ice of the floorboards against the soles of his numb feet also felt so authentic that he wondered if it was possible to freeze to death in a dream.

He didn’t want to test that theory though. Nor did he want to see if he could wake up by killing himself here. Somehow, he knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

With a sigh, he unfurled his last scroll to draw on. This time, however, he didn’t attempt to paint his usual beasts, especially since his past attempts had proven that such efforts were futile. Instead, he dipped his brush in the bucket of dark liquid he'd found beside his scrolls earlier and started to draw himself in the center. Next, he painted Naruto on his right and Sakura on his left. After another dip in the bucket of ink, he hummed in contemplation for a second before adding Sasuke on Sakura’s other side.

He almost drew the former Avenger and the medic holding hands but remembered at the last minute that the Uchiha was now missing his left hand anyway. Well, he could just draw them eyeing each other as he caught the Uchiha doing many times since they’d found their missing teammate. Honestly, Sasuke wasn’t as subtle about it as he thought he was. Then again, Sai had always been known to be very observant himself.

Sighing, he then added Captain Yamato and Lord Sixth on either end of their lineup. A tiny dash around the older men’s eyes was made to demonstrate their age. After the entire roster of Team Seven was complete and present, Sai swept the tip of the brush across each of their lower faces to add a smile—except for Sasuke, for whom he merely made a stoic line to replicate the young man’s usual impassive expression, as well as Kakashi whose mask made up the lower half of his face anyway.

Upon finishing the drawing of his team, he leaned back to admire the picture of their makeshift family. This was the first time he’d painted the entire team together, and it’d been quite a few years since his last attempt too. Ah, if only this wasn’t a dream then he’d be happy to hang it up on the wall of his room.

As he studied the drawing, he noticed a strange scent tingling at his nose. Taking a deep whiff and catching the copper notes, he frowned and looked up in search of it as he found that the scent was all too familiar but completely unwelcomed.

But as the scent of blood grew stronger and more pungent, Sai could see nothing around the dark room of the hut that could’ve been the source. It was completely bare except for the rocking chair by the window and his own ink equipment.

**_Tap._ **

He glanced down to where a drop of ink had spilled from his poised brush tip and splattered onto Sakura’s painted face. “What a shame,” Sai sighed, shaking his head at his now ruined masterpiece. But then his brows drew together and he leaned in for a better look as he wondered why the splotch of ink obscuring Sakura’s whole face looked a different shade from the rest of the ink that lined the figures of his teammates. It looked like…

“Blood?” he murmured, reaching a finger to graze the tip of it against the droplet.

The action smeared the stain further across Sakura’s smiling expression and making it look like her entire face was drenched in blood. But Sai was more focused on the red that now colored his fingertip as he mulled over whether the liquid was really blood or just colored ink. Raising the finger to his nose, he sniffed it and, sure enough, the familiar copper scent flooded his nostrils.

But where did the blood come from?

Subtle movement caught his eye and he glimpsed back at his painting, only to blink in astonishment when he saw that his scroll was nowhere to be seen and that his teammates were now doodled onto the wooden floorboards instead. Had he been painting on the floor this whole time? It was dark, but he swore that the texture against his hand had been parchment instead of wood. Then again, it was only recently that he’d started to learn that dreams were a mystery of the mind.

While examining his painting on the wooden panels, his frown deepened as the painted lines started to dribble down like melting wax on a candle, disfiguring his teammates until it looked like they were crying and bleeding. The black ink of their lines bled away into the same red that shaded Sakura’s face, and it didn’t stop there. It started thickening with volume until his teammates were completely submerged in red. The liquid was quickly spreading like a pool of blood, seeping into the cracks of the floorboards and he began to wonder if this dream was supposed to be a nightmare instead.

A quiet sob cut through his thoughts and Sai jumped to his feet at the unexpected noise. The sobbing continued, quiet and feminine, echoing across the chilly insides of the hut. He spun around in search of the woman, but he found himself approaching the bucket of ink where the noise was most audible… as well as the scent of blood.

Huh, what a strange dream indeed. And yet, despite it being a dream, what was this foreboding sense of feeling?

He stooped down and peered into the bucket, nearly jerking back to gag when the stench of coagulating blood hit him full force. Raising the sleeve of his nightshirt to his nostrils, he dipped his head into the bucket’s mouth to figure out the source of the crying. He nearly jerked back once more when, instead of his own reflection greeting him, it was the pretty face of a woman with long hair that fell past her shoulders and beyond the bucket’s rim. Her hands rubbed at her eyes in a sad attempt to wipe away the tears streaming down and glistening on her cheeks as she continued to cry.

Having had very few dreams in his entire lifetime, the former Root member was confounded by such an event. He’d seen many strange happenings in the world of the shinobi, but not one as bizarre as finding a lady crying in the reflection of a bucket of blood. Then again, this was his dream. Perhaps it was simply his subconscious still trying to deal with the aftermath of war or his history as Danzo’s underling. And if this was his dream then, regardless of what would happen, he knew that all dreams would come to an end and that he would wake up safe and sound and surrounded by his newfound family.

All would be well.

Which was why he wasn't entirely afraid to call out to the woman with a soft “Hello?”

The woman stopped sobbing and, slowly, she lowered her hands from her eyes to stare into Sai’s. It was a mistake, he knew right then and there as her blank gaze met his.

Blood splashed past the metal rim and splattered everywhere when a pale hand shot out from the thick pool to grab Sai by the face and yank his head into the depths of the bucket.

* * *

**SAKURA**

Her breath fogged out before her numb face as Sakura Haruno raked in the freezing air and filled her lungs all the way before exhaling quietly, smoothly.

She blinked. Once… twice… Three times.

Her five fingers twitched, still numb, but her control over them was returning faster than last time. Good. It was progress. Faster than she’d anticipated.

Her fingers curled slowly, loosely… and finally clenched into a fist. Next was her feet. The little toes wiggled, but she frowned when her right leg refused to bend at the knee. With a huff, she tried again but to no avail.

“Hrrkk…”

The choked gargle at her side prompted Sakura to sidle her eyes over to the older man sleeping beside her. A thin sheen of sweat coated the masked man’s face, his brows twitching in distress along with the rest of his body beneath the blanket.

Sakura’s lips quirked into a smile as she watched him struggle a little longer before turning her head to the man laying on her other side, surprised by how close his face was to hers. It gave her the chance to study his handsome, aristocratic features, from his prominent cheekbones and straight nose, all the way to the full lashes and lips that accentuated his elegant countenance. But her surprise eventually fell away to curiosity as she saw that this raven-haired man was not as visibly distressed as his other companions were in their sleep. That same curiosity quickly faded into an impatient ire as his sleeping face remained stoic and silent.

It was interesting how he’d managed to last this long. It was even more impressive that any of these men had been able to hold out for as long as they had—and still were. As such, she surmised that these men were no ordinary people. No, she suspected that they meant something to this woman. Friends? Lovers? Or family?

As she marveled at the dark-haired man’s suave beauty, she took the time to try to bend her leg again. Her knee joint felt like a rusty hinge as she slowly, with painstaking effort, bent her right leg and tried to heave herself up.

An unexpected weight in one of her hands kept her pinned down, however, and she failed, flopping awkwardly onto her side instead. Her hand fell limply atop of the handsome man’s warm chest and she suppressed a growl of frustration as she discovered that the man’s fingers were laced with hers. The male scent of embers and smoky spices filled her lungs as she sucked in a breath. She was forced to wait again, quietly gathering the strength to get her fingers twitching in response once more. First her thumb… then her index… middle… ring… now her pinky. Finally, the last test came with the strenuous disentanglement of her hand from his.

Good. Not great, but it was better than nothing. Better than the last time when she’d come so close to killing this man earlier, but had lost control over this body at the very last damn minute.

But the fact that he was still alive after staying so long in this hut had piqued Sakura’s desire to understand why. Why were these men still alive when all others had fallen victim almost the instant they had entered the hut?

The desire to understand why overpowered her urge to kill, and Sakura swept her hand up the man’s broad chest before cupping the angle of his jaw. He was possibly the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on—it was impossible to deny that—but there was something much more special about him than just his attractive looks. Cradling his face like so felt like holding the heart of darkness incarnate. Seductive and dominant.

Yes, this man was something special. He was no ordinary shinobi. No, she sensed his chakra was ancient and powerful, raw and enticing. She could practically taste the lethality of him just by his breath on her lips. It stoked an exciting sense of pleasure hot in her belly as she also picked up on the embers of rage that coursed in the violent nature of his chakra. He was a dangerous man, and she wondered if that ancient chakra within him was the reason why he’d survived this long in the hut. But if so, then what about the other men?

Curious, she raised her hand and aimed her finger at his forehead. Just as she was about to poke him, her hand froze in midair, shaking and trembling as if an unforeseen force had grabbed hold of her to keep her from touching the man.

Her lips quirked into a smile once more, but her jaws were now clenching from the endeavor as she eyed her hand shaking vigorously before the man’s sleeping face. Her finger was still poised with the intention to touch him, but she could not.

_‘No.’_

Her smile twitched haphazardly as if she was having a seizure. **‘Still, you fight me.’**

_‘Leave them alone.’_

**‘And such a strong will.’**

_‘I won’t let you hurt them.’_

**‘They’re dying now anyway. I’m surprised they’re not dead already.’**

_‘Not if I can help it.’_

**‘I wonder what’s so special about them?’**

_‘Don’t underestimate my team. And don’t underestimate me!’_

**‘Stay in your land of dreams and keep sleeping.’**

Her smile steadied, the twitches slowing to a stop.

**‘That’s right. Go back to sleep now.’**

_‘N-No… you can't… keep me locked in here… forever!’_

**‘Oh, but the longer I possess you, the stronger I become.’**

_‘I’m strong too…’_

**‘And your soul?’** The right side of Sakura’s mouth rose higher into a wicked grin while the other side tilted down in pain. **‘Yes, you won't be able to hang on much longer.’**

_‘Like hell I'm going without a fight…’_

**‘Such a tenacious soul, but what about your mind? That's right, because your body is mine now. And I… say…** **_sleep_ ** **.’**

As if on cue, the violent trembling in her hand started to ease up.

_‘If I'm going back to sleep… then so are you! Because this body… is still… mine… too!’_

**‘Mm, but not for long…’**

The hand by Sasuke’s face still quaked and struggled just a moment longer before her fingertip finally touched his forehead.

* * *

**SASUKE**

The last thing Sasuke expected when he watched Itachi raise his hand to him was for his familiar forehead poke to wrench him backward and out the door of their parent’s room. His back slammed against a floor hard enough to knock the air from his lungs and cold enough to leave him slightly disoriented. It took him a second to recover as he wondered how a dream could feel so real that he could still feel his brother’s warm fingertips on his forehead. He could still feel the warmth of the sunset on his face as he sat at his usual spot on the lake dock.

But what little warmth that remained from the childhood memory of that time in the docks and then running back home in the hopes of finding the ghost of his family was quickly sapped by the freezing temperature of his new environment.

Sitting up, Sasuke studied his palms that were no longer the small and childish hands he’d had just a moment ago. He was back to his normal form now, and as he braced a hand back on the floor, he frowned upon recognizing the scratched-up floorboards that were more like ice rather than wood. It wasn’t unusual for the sole surviving Uchiha to dream of his childhood, particularly the night of his clan’s massacre or the lonely days that followed. Nor was it strange for him to dream that he was five years old again and wandering through the deserted streets of the Uchiha district in search of another Uchiha. Of course, his dreams always ended with him chasing after the ghost of Itachi and their parents. In fact, that was the first time he’d experienced Itachi in his dream poking him on the forehead as he did just before Kabuto’s Impure World Reincarnation jutsu had pulled his soul back to the Pure Land.

But what he did find strange and unusual was that his dream had somehow taken him here. To the hut.

Inspecting his surroundings, he was taken aback by the sight of none other than Sakura. She was sitting on the rocking chair like the last time he had dreamt her after chasing her through the blizzard and into the hut earlier. But unlike the last time he’d envisioned her on the rocking chair, caressing the heavy swell of her belly, the vision before him right now was not pregnant but merely slumped forward and asleep. As if she’d taken a seat at the rocking chair in anticipation of something outside the window but had fallen asleep during the wait.

And unlike when he had tucked her body close to his after Kakashi’s encouragement, the Sakura sleeping in front of him did not have a peaceful expression. Her brows were furrowed and there was a trembling in her lips that prompted Sasuke to draw closer to her out of concern.

It was all a dream, of course, and whatever he did in this dream of his would make no difference in the real world. Even so, that didn’t stop him from approaching his teammate and softly calling her name in the hopes of waking her up from whatever nightmare she seemed to be in.

She turned her head slightly, brows pinching as a lock of cherry blossom hair slipped from her ear and fell across her cheek. Tilting his head, Sasuke slowly reached his hand out to tuck that stray lock gingerly behind her ear again, his knuckles brushing along that porcelain cheek and feeling it surprisingly warm this time. As if in answer to his touch, Sakura shifted and Sasuke drew his hand back as he watched her lashes flutter for a second before finally lifting to reveal those jade orbs that were so vibrant and lively that it seemed like forever since the last time he’d stared into them.

Her mouth moved as she blinked up at him, blinking away the drowsiness as well. Those jade orbs still remained dull—almost glazed over—as they swept over him before landing back on his face. She gave him a baffled look and sluggishly stood up, mouth moving again but he couldn’t hear her just like before. But he saw the way her petal-pink lips formed the syllables of his name as she gazed at him in wonder, a slim hand gradually rising to cup his cheek like she couldn’t believe he was actually here.

Silently, he lifted his hand to cover her own and her eyes widened further as the heat of their skin met together.

His own lips parted in surprise as they continued to stare in absolute awe of each other. It almost felt like time had come to a still as the moment lasted far longer than he would’ve been comfortable with had this not been a dream. He wasn’t used to having enough time to share a long and peaceful silence with Sakura as their respective duties usually called them away from the other. But this was just a fantasy… so it was okay to look at her as long as he wanted to, right?

But the spell was broken when Sakura’s calm, jade gaze was suddenly flooded with panic. She shook her head frantically, mouth moving much faster now in a rush to speak a string of words that he couldn’t hear. Small hands grabbed his shoulders and spun him towards the door, pressing insistently at his back. Confused, he glanced back over his shoulder and caught the way her mouth formed ‘Go!’ at him.

Go? Go where? Did she want him to leave? Without her?

She shoved at him, harder now, and he was sent stumbling forward from the strength of the push. A finger was jabbed beside his cheek, pointing at the door urgently. There was no time to question her or take his time because she shoved at him again and he nearly tripped had he not done as she insisted.

But not without grabbing Sakura’s hand to take her along with him. Sasuke felt her hesitance in the way she seemed to stay rooted at the chair until he turned to give her a cool look that soothed the trepidation tormenting her. Without breaking his eyes away from her, he pulled her along and towards the door, releasing her hand only when he was within reach of the doorknob. But the knob did not turn no matter how much strength he put into it, and the door did bow under his weight but did not break open when he kicked at it.

They were trapped… until Sakura touched her hand over his own and turned the doorknob with him.

The door creaked open and revealed the gaping mouth of the pitch-black darkness that awaited them on the other side, but the Uchiha prince and the medic each had their attention fixated on the other. Sasuke tilted his head, curious by what had happened for the door to open quietly under their hands, and Sakura flashed him a shy smile before realizing her hand was still keeping his captive. Pink tinged her cheeks as she yanked her hand away from his, but Sasuke captured hers and shook his head.

No, if the door had magically opened because of their combined efforts, then it was better if they just remained together like so.

Still blushing, Sakura eventually nodded at him before she gasped sharply in alarm. They looked around wildly as the walls of the hut began to groan and shake as if in anger, the darkness from every corner of the room now spreading like ink across the torn-up wood and converging on the two teammates. Tsking at the interruption, Sasuke stepped through the threshold and into the yawning darkness, pulling Sakura with him.

But a sharp tug at his arm nearly had him careening backward and he peered over to Sakura who looked back at him with full-blown panic in her eyes now. Her hand in his gripped him desperately while her other hand was clamped onto the frame of the threshold, each finger white and quivering with the effort to pull herself through. Her mouth opened again, begging something, and Sasuke tried to activate his Sharingan to at least read her lips but both eyes refused to respond to his chakra. He also had a feeling that even if his hand was free, he'd be unable to use any jutsus just like last time.

How could he be so powerless in his own dream?!

“Sakura!” he shouted as something tried to rip her from his grasp.

Leaning back, he put all his weight into it, pulling fiercely with the strength of his one arm to help her through. He could see the way her fingers clutched onto the edge of the threshold for dear life, slowly slipping and losing hold with every heartbeat.

And then she was gone, yanked right from him and back into the darkness. The sudden loss of her had Sasuke staggering back and he fell down, still bewildered by what had just happened. But in a flash, he was back on his feet and surging forward to retrieve her.

The door flung shut by itself, however, and Sasuke crashed right into it. His cheek ached against the cold wood but it didn’t match the pain that he felt upon slamming a frustrated fist against it. And he was left alone in the dark once more.

“Teme! Get… off… me!”

Sasuke almost thought he was hearing things until the familiar growl of his best friend had him pivoting sharply on his heel. It wasn’t the fact that he was back in the hut all over again that elicited a sharp inhale from him. It was the fact that Naruto was right there in the center of the room, on his back and holding a kunai over his own belly with a hand that seemed to be struggling with itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! This chapter was pretty hard to write because I didn't know how much information I wanted to reveal and how to express it without being straightforward about it. I hope this chapter has helped with your theories :)
> 
>   
> **EDIT: Hi guys, this is in no way directed towards any of you readers who have commented here before. This is for the person who has been lurking through my Naruto fanfics and has been harassing me on my socials after I blocked them on FanFictionNet. Yeah, I know you've followed me here and are reading this. Report me on FFNet or whatever - IDGAF because I like AO3 better and I have everything saved anyway. Lowkey threatening and trying to blackmail me into writing under your direction just because you don't like my writing decisions and fic ship is NOT going to do anything to help your case. If you had tried to commission me instead of trying to blackmail/harass me everywhere, this would be a different story. I'm the writer and you're the reader. So shut it, and eat the food I'm serving. If you don't like the food, you can leave my table - I won't miss you. Bye, Felicia. For everyone else, I'm SO sorry about this.**  
>  For anyone wondering wtf this drama is about, basically, someone from FanFictionNet is threatening to report my story for an explicit sex scene that hasn't even been written yet (they only know there'd be a sex scene because I warned my readers beforehand). They were ridiculously passive-aggressive in explaining that if I don't comply with their demands and write the story and characters exactly the way they want it, then they'll report me for breaking FFNet's rules regarding no sex scenes. I'm just ignoring them because this ain't the first time a reader has tried to lowkey blackmail me 🙃


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